<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Fandoms Challenge 2021 by Certainlittlesmile</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29222991">Fandoms Challenge 2021</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Certainlittlesmile/pseuds/Certainlittlesmile'>Certainlittlesmile</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Choices: The Royal Masquerade (Visual Novel), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops &amp; Cafés, Challenges, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:54:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29222991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Certainlittlesmile/pseuds/Certainlittlesmile</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a collection of one-shots in response to a prompt challenge on the Facebook group "Small/Medium Fandoms, Pool Noodles, Dinghies and Tugboats," which I am a moderator of, if you fancy joining us then please check us out! </p><p>I did a prompt challenge in another writer's group last year and it really got some creative juices flowing so I'm hoping the same will happen this time! May include spoilers for my future works.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Liam/Main Character (The Royal Romance), Maxwell Beaumont &amp; Hana Lee, Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character (The Royal Romance), Maxwell Beaumont/Original Character(s), Olivia Nevrakis/Constantine Rys, Percival Beaumont/Main Character (The Royal Masquerade)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fandoms Challenge 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Only one answer (Liam/Main Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Week 1 - write a ship you don't ship!</p><p>Well everyone who knows me knows I don't ship the TRR MC with the Prince... this is a sneak preview of a future fic where Jen Jones stumbles into an engagement with him for all the wrong reasons....</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When he’d asked her <em>that</em> question, all the things she’d been thinking over earlier were still churning in her head.  But her conclusion came to her just in time. She didn’t want to hurt Rick, she cared about him. She didn’t want to let Maxwell down, she loved him. So there was only one answer she could give.</p><p>Now, Jen was with her new fiancé, in the viewing station at the top of the Statue of Liberty, looking into the night.  Her mind was spinning, as she thought back three nights to the last time she had looked out across the NYC skyline, and who she had been with. She knew Maxwell would be thrilled at how tonight had gone. She just wished that she could feel as happy about it herself. She tried her hardest to picture his excitement, and as she did, she smiled in Rick’s direction as he turned to her.</p><p>“America has always been a place that people come to achieve their dreams, and New York City in particular. I had no idea how true that would be. That coming here would mean that I get to spend the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams.” He put his hands on her waist. “Maybe.. maybe that’s part of what makes you so special.”</p><p>"What is?” she asked him.</p><p>“Perhaps you carry a piece of that New York hope with you wherever you go. You help people achieve their dreams. Helping Drake find Savannah, helping Hana stand up to her father.. Helping me realise that breaking things off with Madeleine was the best thing, not just for me, but for everyone.”</p><p>She sighed. She’d also helped Maxwell and Bertrand, of course. By saying yes tonight. “You make it sound like a superpower or something.”</p><p>"Isn’t it? I don’t know anyone else who has had such an effect on so many lives. You are one of a kind.”</p><p>She nodded. “You’re right about New York though. It’s probably one of the most inspirational places in the country.”</p><p>“I would go so far as to say the world.” He gazed out over the water for a moment, then took a deep breath and turned back to her, his hands still lightly holding onto her. “There is one more thing I wanted to say to you tonight. Especially in light of our new circumstances.” He released his right hand from her waist, and reached out for her left hand, his fingers toying with the engagement ring that now adorned one of hers.  “You will always have a home in Cordonia, for as long as I am King. And I will never let anyone threaten that, or you, ever again. I promise you.”</p><p>“Thank you.” She did her best to maintain her expression, as he studied her intently, almost reverently. She leant into him, luring him closer with her gaze, and their lips met in a kiss. Suddenly, Rick drew back.</p><p>“I have never wanted you more.”</p><p>He cupped her face in his hands and her eyes connected with his again. He moved to kiss her once more, and she smiled into the kiss. His tongue traced a line on her lower lip, and she placed a hand on his chest to make this procedure seem more genuine on her part. She knew she would fall for him over time. How could anyone not? He was handsome, charming, and he adored her. As she did so, this would start to come more naturally.</p><p>She was not prepared for what happened next, as he thrust her up against the window.</p><p>But, she knew this had to happen eventually. Probably best to get it out of the way.</p><p>The window felt cool against her thin dress as he ran his dominant hand down the front of her body, pushing against the glass with the other, and began to kiss her ardently. She began to unbutton his formal jacket to indicate consent; her fingers clumsy, as she peppered shy kisses on his ear and neck.</p><p>He leant into her with a victorious groan, and within seconds most of their clothes were scattered at their feet. She used her hands to explore his body; he was very toned, perhaps a little too toned for her taste. Eventually her hands found the fastenings of his trousers, and he took a step back, hunger in his eyes. She knew he was about to say something smooth.</p><p>“You are the only thing in this world that could possibly rival the view from this window for beauty.”</p><p>Cringing inwardly, she threw him her best <em>come hither</em> look. He stepped towards her, placing his hands on her hips and spinning her around. He then pinned her to the wall, his body pressed against her back. One of his hands played with the elastic of her underwear for a moment, then delved down, moving rhythmically. She moaned encouragingly, then turned and knelt in front of him, unbuckling his belt, kissing his torso all the while. After freeing the belt, she unzipped his trousers and pulled them off him.</p><p>He bent over her as she slid backwards onto the ground. She placed her hands on his hips to guide him as he sunk onto her. He rocked against her and as she exaggerated another moan, he groaned in response. She made her body arch off the ground and move in time with his. This wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped it would be.</p><p>So she closed her eyes and began to imagine he was somebody else.</p><p>And all of a sudden, it started to feel good.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Ask your OTP (Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Week 2 of our challenge - write in a tense you don't normally write in!<br/>I always write in the past tense, so when I saw this prompt list in another group I had to write this as it's present tense, and it's a really fluffy Valentine special!<br/>Thanks to "Otherworldlypresents" for the prompts!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Who is the most affectionate?</p><p>This very much depends from day to day. Sometimes it’s Maxwell; he’ll suddenly drop a little love poem or a box of chocolates out of nowhere, and his nicknames for Jen are cute. Sometimes it’s Jen, she tends to be the one that initiates their physical affectionateness because she finds it hard to resist him. Neither of them have any qualms about public displays of affection, which can frustrate the people around them at times.</p><p> </p><p>Big spoon/little spoon?</p><p>Jen’s generally the little spoon, because she likes to rest her head against his tattoo when she doses off. The hippo one, not the squid one, that would be weird.</p><p> </p><p>Most common argument?</p><p>They don’t argue much. Maxwell is very good at gauging Jen’s mood and knowing when he needs to tone himself down a little so as not to irritate her. If they ever do argue, it’s usually about something trivial, and afterwards it’s Jen who sulks and Maxwell who tries to make things up -  Jen can never stay mad at him for long. Their biggest argument happened when Maxwell agreed with Rick that Annabelle could be his heir; he’d been convinced that Jen would be in agreement, and while she was, she didn’t appreciate having the decision made for her. Maxwell knows now never to assume he knows what Jen is thinking, even though he usually does.</p><p> </p><p>Favourite non-sexual activity?</p><p>If dancing can be said to be non-sexual, then that’s it. These two love nothing better than to hit a dance floor together, or with their friends. They’ll dance to all sorts of music in so many different ways. They don’t even need music sometimes. However sometimes they get a little carried away and slow dancing at the end of the night can often be their foreplay.</p><p> </p><p>What is their favourite feature of their partners?</p><p>They actually had this conversation once during a love confessions game.  Maxwell didn’t really want to choose a part of her body, as it was all amazing, but eventually chose Jen’s brain – which not only decided that the rest of her would fall in love with him, but was the nearest thing to being all of her. Jen had trouble choosing between Maxwell’s eyes and his mouth, but went with his mouth in the end, for various reasons, some quite wholesome (the words that came out of it made her laugh) but some not so wholesome.</p><p> </p><p>Nicknames?</p><p>Maxwell of course calls Jen “little blossom” and Annabelle soon became “little bean.” He also calls Jen his “favourite person” which was soon adapted to “favourite people” once their daughter arrived. Jen doesn’t abbreviate Maxwell’s name, and she doesn’t like it when other people do it, although he himself doesn’t have a huge problem with it. She calls him “babe” as a term of endearment and he is very much in approval with that.</p><p> </p><p>Who worries the most?</p><p>They both worry about different things. Maxwell is riddled with insecurities from his childhood and past relationships, and prior to him meeting Jen he didn’t think there was much point in acting any differently to the way others perceived him. Jen made him realise that he had a lot to offer, firstly as a friend, then as a partner, and when he gets inside his head too much, Jen is able to spot this and is ready and waiting to reassure him with her love. Jen worries more about what the future might bring, whereas Maxwell’s optimistic side tends to see him through in that respect – he believes that things will work out for the best, so he’s able to help soothe her fears.</p><p> </p><p>Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?</p><p>Maxwell tends to be extremely inconsistent when it comes to what he wants to eat, so Jen doesn’t stand a chance. Very often she’ll order what he is having, as while she is just as adventurous with her food choices as he is, she’s not quite as imaginative when it comes to the possibilities. She will always remind him of what his first words to her were whenever the subject of steak comes up, though.</p><p> </p><p>Who initiates kisses?                                </p><p>They both do, but more often than not it’s Jen. Maxwell has a habit of looking at her seductively and trying to break her self-restraint, and his success rate is pretty good.</p><p> </p><p>Who reaches for the other one’s hand first?</p><p>It’s usually Jen who reaches for Maxwell’s hand, but once they are hand in hand, it’s usually Maxwell who squeezes Jen’s hand if needed.</p><p> </p><p>Who kisses the hardest?</p><p>Maxwell sometimes has his moments here, especially when he’s trying to be dramatic or they are roleplaying (which they do a lot), but generally they seem to match each other in their enthusiasm for each other’s lips.</p><p> </p><p>Who wakes up first? Who wants to stay in bed just a little bit longer?</p><p>Maxwell is an early bird, and it’s a well known fact that before they were together he always used to wake Jen up. This trend continued into their marital life; very often Maxwell will wake up, offer a silent prayer to the fact that he has such a beautiful woman sleeping next to him, then creep up and head downstairs to make her breakfast, knocking on the door to announce his return. Jen loves it when he does this but there are some mornings when she’ll be stirring too when he wakes up and then she’s more reluctant to let him leave. Since Annabelle was born, they take turns to get up with her and let the other one dose, but Maxwell definitely seems to take more turns.</p><p>What do their family/friends think of their relationship?</p><p>When it began, there was obvious dissent from Maxwell’s brother Bertrand for obvious reasons. Although he had already come to think of Jen as part of his family, it definitely hadn’t been as <em>that</em> part. However by the time of the wedding, Bertrand had come to terms with the fact that the failure of their plan wasn’t such a bad thing for the family after all.  </p><p>As for their friends, and the only friends worth mentioning here are their mutual friends, with the exception of Rick, Drake and Hana (Rick we’ll consider separately, Drake and Hana had picked up on the dynamics between Jen and Maxwell long before their friendship progressed into more) they were all a little shocked to start with, but soon realised that the two of them were perfect for each other and happy for them.</p><p>Rick was the most shocked of all; he was the first to learn how deep Jen’s feelings for Maxwell ran, before even Maxwell did, and although he should have seen it coming, he hadn’t realised until it was too late. Although he put on a very good front at first in being delighted for his two close friends, it didn’t take long for the cracks in his kingly temperance to begin to show. It took him far longer to forgive Maxwell than it did Jen, although he knew that neither of them had deliberately gone out to hurt him, and even now although their friendship is mostly back on track there are still very occasional moments of awkwardness that creep into their interactions.</p><p> </p><p>Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?</p><p>Sometimes it’s a mutual decision, a shared look in the eyes, that leads to them starting to dance. But, let’s face it, most of time it’s Maxwell’s idea, and Jen doesn’t tend to argue.</p><p> </p><p>Who cooks more? Who is better at cooking?</p><p>Jen isn’t a cook. She’s happy to let the chef at Valtoria do his job. Maxwell, however, does like to have a little fun in the kitchen from time to time. He’s famous for his breakfast creations (although Jen is not a fan of his disgusting smoothie concoctions) and has been known to cook for Jen on occasions, which she adores.</p><p> </p><p>Who needs more assurance?</p><p>Maxwell puts on a lively front to the world, full of humour and confidence. But when it’s just him and Jen, he sometimes lets his guard down and reveals his inner self, the child whose father rejected him, the teenager who was told he wouldn’t amount to anything, the young adult who played along to the court’s low expectations of him. Even before their romance began, Jen helped him to see that he had so much more to offer, and the very fact that they are together now does wonders for his self esteem, but he still has his days where he needs reminding how amazing he is. That’s not to say that Jen doesn’t have her moments of self doubt. She’s able to shut them out more often, but still has flashbacks to the life she left behind. She’s always grateful to be where she is now, married to her best friend who took her away from all of that.</p><p> </p><p>Who would sing their child back to sleep?</p><p>It tends to be a joint effort, but Daddy has a great repertoire of lullabies. Although if Bella requests Baby Shark, it’s over to Mummy.</p><p> </p><p>What do they do when they’re away from each other?</p><p>They hate it. Having spent the first year of their relationship living in each other’s pockets, it doesn’t come naturally to them, but they both understand there are times when it needs to happen. It happens more often now with Maxwell’s writing career taking him to the States and other countries more frequently. Jen will always go with him if she can, but there are times when she needs to stay in Cordonia. If they are apart, they’re constantly texting each other.</p><p> </p><p>One headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart?</p><p>If Jen hadn’t told Maxwell how she felt about him at the UN party, he would never have admitted his own feelings to her, because he never believed that Jen could ever feel like that about him. He would have watched her marry one of his best friends, and been the best friend she could ever wish for as well as the best uncle her kids could ever ask for, all the while dealing with unresolved feelings that he would dismiss as unrequited for the rest of his life, neither of them ever knowing what could have been.</p><p> </p><p>One headcanon about this OTP that mends your heart?</p><p>The fact that Jen <em>was</em> brave enough to tell Maxwell how she felt about him, just before it got too late. She’d had a crush on him from the start; and while she’d gone into this thing with the intention of becoming a queen, that crush only grew. When he’d made it clear in Lythikos that she should only be thinking about Rick, she’d tried to suppress her feelings for everyone’s sake, but they’d just continued to grow. It was seeing him in Paris with Savannah and Bartie that made her realise that she was in love with him, and that she had to do something about it while she still could. She knew she was taking a risk; even if he did return her feelings, he might well still want her to marry Rick, and what would have been the point? And if he didn’t.. that would be awkward. So it took guts for her to tell him how she felt, but deciding to tell him was the best decision she ever made.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Something real (Harry Potter/Hermione Granger)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Week 3 - write for a fandom you read but have never written before.</p><p>There's not many fandoms I read that I'd feel confident enough to write something for, so it's a Harry Potter fic, folks! </p><p>I was really stuck with this challenge but then I had the sudden revelation of writing this scene (and it's my favourite HP scene) from Harry's POV.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It started for Harry as a way just to take her mind off how sad she was.</p><p>He looked at her, so fragile, so broken, curled up with her arms around her knees as she sat down on the stool. The gentle, sombre music from the radio seemed to fit with her mood.</p><p>He could feel her sadness, in fact he could almost see it, permeating around her like an aura in the glow of the lamp behind her. She was normally so grounded, so practical, her emotions were never this strong. It was almost like it would deflect him if he got too close to her, dared to look her in the eyes. The Horcrux was dangerous, he knew that better than anyone, but Hermione was normally more resistant to its negativity than he and Ron were. This was more.</p><p>There were so many things he wanted to say to her, most of which would not help her right now. And while a spell could momentarily boost her spirits, that would be in an artificial way. She needed something real.</p><p>And so did he.</p><p>He stood up, and slowly walked the few paces towards her, peering down at her as he got close enough. She looked up at him curiously as he gradually, but confidently, offered his hand, palm upwards, a silent request to dance.</p><p>The initial look he got from her was not entirely unexpected, but the fact that it was one she generally reserved for chastising Ron bolstered his spirits a little.</p><p>She stood up to face him, and he laced his hands around her neck, unfastening the Horcrux, relishing the sensation of his fingers brushing against the back of her neck, and every tousle of hair they met. How he wanted to go on to do this with the rest of her clothing. Maybe she could sense that.</p><p>He placed the necklace of pure evil down by the radio, and turned up the volume. Next, as she watched, he took her hands, and slowly drew backwards into the more open part of the tent. She followed, her expression disapproving, almost tearful, but fixed on him.</p><p>He took a deep breath and placed a look of determination on his face, and began to sway. One arm, the other arm. It was awkward to start with, but she was dancing with him, whether she liked it or not.</p><p>She began to loosen up, resigned to this activity. Their dance became more natural. He held up an arm for her to pass through. She complied. She twisted back to face him. She looked more content now.</p><p>He couldn’t hide a grin as he pulled her into another move, and revelled in her sudden smile. They seemed to instinctively find a rhythm together within a few more beats. She soon pulled him close, flamboyantly. He felt his heart skip; but kept his mind rational. Again they dipped and twirled each other. She laughed, and he laughed too, all the worry of the world escaping him, as their dance went on.</p><p>As the song began to fade out, she placed her hand and her chin on one of his shoulders, and he rested his chin on her shoulder too. Now they just held each other as they continued to move in slow circles. He couldn’t see her face, but he heard her sigh. Their pace slowed again. And stopped.</p><p>She pulled away, and he gazed at her. He had to be letting his vulnerability show right now. The woman he loved. So close to him, and yet so far away.</p><p>
  <em>Kiss her, Harry. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>No. Don’t kiss her. Don’t prove Ron right.</em>
</p><p>He was torn between the call of his heart and his sense of right and wrong.</p><p>But the call of his heart was louder.</p><p>Before he could answer it, however, she frowned, sighed, and turned away from him, then slowly took a few steps, while he remained in place, unable to react.</p><p>Frozen in time, his mind wrestled with what could have been if he hadn’t just held back.</p><p>But would either of them ever have been able to look Ron in the eye again?</p><p>Well, that thought was irrelevant. She would probably have slapped him if he’d tried it. Probably.</p><p>But for one second, the hope was there that she might have wanted to kiss him back too. And it was that second that he would take away from that tent with him and treasure until his dying day. However soon that might be.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Fine (Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Week 4 - write a fic less than 500 words long!</p><p>An addition to my "Moments in-between" work - this moment takes place in Book 2 Chapter 6, after the Italian dinner scene, when Jen goes to meet King Rick at the Blue Grotto.</p><p>Word count = 499!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>No, he wasn’t crying. Crying would be dumb. There was merely moisture in his eyes as he walked back to the train. He was grateful for the darkness that had now settled on the evening, hopeful that he wouldn’t bump into anyone on his way back to his carriage. Hopeful that Drake wouldn’t already be there to see him in this mess. Hope was all he had, most of the time.</p><p>If Bertrand could get inside his head right now, and that was a situation he really hoped would never ever come to pass in this life or the next, he’d be having a field day. <em>Cease this pathetic fixation immediately. She would be appalled if she picked up on it. Not only is it inappropriate but you know full well that Jen is our only hope for turning our fortunes around. </em></p><p>And he was trying to do what his inner Bertrand said. He really was. But what’dya do when the only person you’ve ever imagined yourself marrying asks you to pretend to propose to her? You make her, and everyone else around you, think you’re some actor. When really, it’s something you wish you could do for real.</p><p>But that’s just weird and wrong, right? She’d just laugh and say no. “You know I love you, Maxwell. But not in that way. Besides, you know I’m here for Rick.”</p><p>Yet the way she’d looked at him just now, just before he’d told her that Rick wanted to meet her… well, nobody had ever looked at him like that. And he couldn’t explain it or figure it out. Optimistic hallucination? Probably. Maybe she was actually thinking about Rick as she gazed at him. Or Drake? Yeah, that would explain it. But… no, forget it.</p><p>He wiped more of that pesky moisture from his eyes as he got closer to the train station. Yeah, he knew what he was signing himself up to when he convinced Jen to go back with him that morning he’d tracked her down in New York. He was already crushing on her then, but he’d figured that wasn’t a good enough reason not to bring two beautiful people together. And it still wasn’t. And they would be together tonight. And that was fine.</p><p>And soon, once they cleared Jen’s name, those two beautiful people would be together forever. And that was fine too.</p><p>Fine. Fine. Really fine. Everything was fine.</p><p>He strode onto the train and along the carriage towards their sleeper car. He swiped the card to unlock it – to find Drake was already in there, a scowl on his face.</p><p>“What’s up with you?”</p><p>“I’m FINE!” he shouted.</p><p>Drake nodded, and stood up, holding up his hands. “O-kay. I’ll leave you to be <em>fine</em>.” He looked curiously at him, then walked past him and out of the sleeper car.</p><p>He crashed onto his bed face down, and sighed deeply. He still wasn’t crying, but somehow this pillow was getting damper by the second.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The queen that I need (Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SPOILER ALERT - if you're reading my WIP The Queen Maxwell Needs, this week's entry is a bit of a spoiler for Ch65 (next week's chapter) so don't read any further if that bothers you... if it doesn't (or you couldn't care less about my WIP!) please continue!!! </p><p> </p><p>Week 5 challenge - write a poem!<br/>So I wrote a song to include in my WIP - I've been assured that song lyrics count as poetry so here it is!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Queen That I Need</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You make it all make sense, this crazy life I’m fated to, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You help me see that I can actually get through,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There’s no way in this world that I could do this without you,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You are the queen that I need.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>You make me feel that I am lost inside my crazy dreams,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I wake up and I see that nothing’s as it seems,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cause you’re still here with me, and it’s so clear for all to see,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You are the queen that I need.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>They always said that I would not amount to anything,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They may have got that really wrong but here's the thing,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I believed what they'd say until the day you came my way.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You are the queen that I need.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I never thought that you could ever feel this way for me,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm sure that everyone around us would agree,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh but somehow you do, and man I feel so much for you,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You are the queen that I need.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I want to show you that I love you more than anything,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m not convinced that my best tactic is to sing,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But maybe we can dance, and raise a glass to royal romance,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And I’ll be the king that you need.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The mysterious stranger (Percival Beaumont/Main Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Week 6 - write a fic with very few ships!</p><p>I'm already on it! I thought I'd post Chapter 1 of my WIP, "In Another Life" to give you a flavour! </p><p>The Royal Masquerade is a VERY small fandom, and mine is currently the only fic for the pairing (it'll now show as two when I add this work, oh well) </p><p>In canon, Percival Beaumont (the ancestor of my beloved Maxwell) is a love interest for the main character's sister, but I wasn't having that! </p><p>If you like, please check out the rest of the story! Thanks!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Genevieve Aster smiled contentedly to herself, a warm feeling in her chest. Well, well. He was here again.</p><p>It was perhaps the third, fourth time she had seen him here in the last week. It was unusual for anyone to be here so many times in such short succession. Apart from Genevieve herself, of course, and her incessantly demanding superior, Kana, the head librarian, who mercifully was not here at present.</p><p>Genevieve worked as a scribe in the grand library in the centre of Cordonia’s capital city, and her daily work mainly consisted of transcribing works. On occasion, if she was lucky enough, she had the opportunity to assist library visitors. But, there were never many of those. And most visitors didn’t need any help.</p><p>Unhappily, the visitor who had piqued her interest had so far not needed any help.</p><p>It hadn’t stopped her placing her quill down on several occasions over the last few days and just taking the time to observe him. He seemed to be particularly interested in legal textbooks, and he had studied a number of them during his recent visits, while she had been studying him.</p><p>He was most handsome; to her, anyway, perhaps not classically. She had not had the opportunity to see him up close, so his eye colour remained a mystery, although his eyes were well known to her by now. He favoured blue, rich clothing, which led her to believe he was a member of a noble house. He was bearded; beards were not generally to Genevieve’s taste, but for this beautiful man who was actually in the same room as her, she would make an exception.</p><p>As she watched him, he stood up suddenly, a glance in her direction as he did so. Panicked, she picked up her quill and began to furiously continue her transcript, hoping he did not realise she had been watching.</p><p>“The…fables…tell…that….Queen….Kenna’s…..husband….could….turn….into….a…..dragon…. and…that…he….was…..ruggedly….”</p><p>“Excuse me, miss?”</p><p>“Handsome!” she squeaked.</p><p>"Excuse me?”</p><p>"Oh!” Genevieve felt her face burning up, she must have been the colour of a Cordonian Ruby. “My apologies. That is, of course, the word I was transcribing. What I should have said is… can I help you, my Lord?”</p><p>The mystery was solved. They were blue. And intense. And they were looking straight at her.</p><p>"I wondered if you had any books on weaponry?”</p><p>Hmm. A little different from the law. “Why, yes. We have an entire section. Over in that direction. Three shelves from the left.”</p><p>"Ah. Very good. Could you show me?”</p><p>"Why yes, my Lord.”</p><p>Doing her best to hide her excitement, she hopped up from her desk, and, as elegantly as possible, sashayed over to the weaponry section. He followed close behind her, and she slowed a little, looking back at him in excitement.</p><p>“Here,” she said, drawing to a stop. “Books on lances, daggers, swords and shields, fire weapons..”</p><p>“Thank you, miss.”</p><p>She smiled at him, wondering if she could get one in return. But she failed miserably, and her expression was met only with a frown.</p><p>"If that’s everything, I’ll…”</p><p>She scampered back to her desk, and sat down, hiding her face with her transcript once she did so. That could have gone better. It was no wonder she had never won any admirers. Not that many opportunities came her way.</p><p>But when she finally removed her face from the transcript and looked back across the room, she immediately made eye contact with the mysterious stranger once more. He looked at her for a few more delicious seconds, then looked away.</p><p>***</p><p>Several more days passed, and on most of these days, Genevieve’s visitor returned. The daily ritual was often the same; he would come in and study for an hour or two, then come to ask her where to find a particular type of book, then she would show him, and return to her desk. And they would play a game of peek-a-boo at some point; Genevieve not wanting to make it obvious that he had her full attention, her patron allowing her to catch the odd glimpse of him looking in her direction.  They shared no conversation, but Genevieve had the feeling after a few more of these days that they were starting to share a bond.</p><p>Kana came and spoke to her one lunchtime, as she was eating a very unappetising meal of bread and water.</p><p>"Can you tell me why that gentleman is persistently hanging around my library?”</p><p>"I am sure he is doing some research,” Genevieve explained, with a blush. In her fantasies, it was she he was researching, rather than matters of the law.</p><p>"He looks familiar to me,” Kana said, “I am not sure why. But, in any case, I wonder if I should speak to him. It seems suspicious.”</p><p>"Speak to him if you will,” Genevieve said. “It does not concern me.”</p><p>Kana nodded. “I would not have men hanging around distracting my scribe from her work. Make sure it does not concern you, otherwise I will have to suggest he reads from another library.”</p><p>Genevieve nodded and sighed. At present, her visitor was the highlight of her day. It seemed she was going to have to suppress any excitement he generated even further than she was already trying to.</p><p>Kana tutted. “Have you completed A History of Stormholt, volume two?”</p><p>"Yes, Kana. I start volume three after lunch.”</p><p>"Very good.” Kana picked up the manuscript, and walked away from her, past the mystery man, and away towards the history textbooks. She watched him go, and then let her eyes settle once more upon the library’s other occupant.</p><p>As she did this, he stood up, but this time she had no transcript to busy herself with. She panicked for a moment, then decided to put her head up and watch him approach.</p><p>“Can I help you?” she asked.</p><p>“I wondered if you had any books on.. ah.. romantic poetry?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh. Was that the hint of a blush?</em>
</p><p>“Why, yes. We have two shelves of it. Against the far wall. The top shelf on the right.”</p><p>"Ah. Very good.” A longer pause this time. His eyes were so intense. “Could you show me?”</p><p>"Why yes, my Lord.”</p><p>Heart beating rapidly, she stood up and, concentrating on ensuring her gait was demure, made her way to the poetry section. Again, he was close to her at all times, and she relished the excitement.</p><p>“Here,” she said, drawing to a stop. “Poetry for lost lovers, star-crossed lovers… <em>future </em>lovers.” She reached for a book; and was met by a brush of his hand as he reached for the same one. “Oh… my apologies, my Lord!”</p><p>"Not at all.” His hand had retreated; it had felt warm and soft to the touch. It was waiting for the book.</p><p>Awkwardly, she passed it to him.</p><p>"Thank you, miss.”</p><p>Again, she smiled at him, but his face remained stoic.</p><p>She nodded, and slowly headed back to the desk again. Turning back to catch one last glimpse of him halfway to her destination, she found he was still standing fixed in place, gazing at the cover of the book he held in his hand.</p><p>***</p><p>The next day was the day of the Royal Masquerade Ball, and Kana, after having caught Genevieve reading and dreaming, had tasked her with a particularly uninspiring manuscript on soil fertility; worse still, her handsome new friend had not made an appearance today.</p><p>Lost in concentration, she scribbled her transcription onto the parchment as fast as she could, trying to distract herself from the significance of tonight’s event. The fact that the stranger had not made a reappearance today had made her wonder if he was preparing for the ball today. Oh, that she would be able to join him there. She’d long dreamed of her opportunity to attend the Royal Masquerade Ball; but it was a noble occasion. Not one for lowly scribes. Rather one for Lords, and Ladies, just like..</p><p>She sighed as a shadow approached her desk. “I’m working this time, Kana..”</p><p>“Good. Now, don’t stop until you’ve worn your fingers to the bone.”</p><p>She looked up in amazement to see her adoptive sister. “Annalisa? What are you doing here?”</p><p>Annalisa perched on the side of the desk. “Making sure this place hasn’t driven you insane yet.”</p><p>Genevieve placed down her quill. “I’m… faring well.” Far better when her mysterious gentleman reader were here, but she knew were she to share this tale with Annalisa, she would receive a ribbing.</p><p>“What of the gift I sent you? Tell me you’ve read it.”</p><p>“The Last Dance?” Genevieve smiled, and rested her hand on the book to the side of her desk. “I’ve read most of it, which is why I’m still working past dinner.”</p><p>Annalisa smiled wryly. “Did the permanently displeased one catch you reading again?”</p><p>“Yes,” sighed Genevieve. “So we must keep your visit short tonight. This entire tome must be copied out twice by morning.”</p><p>“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” purred Annalisa. “But I doubt you’ll be able to do that whilst attending tonight’s ball. You’ll be far too busy dancing and flirting with handsome nobles to..”</p><p>“Wait, what?” Genevieve grew chilly with shock. “Annalisa.. what have you done?”</p><p>Her expression was playful. “Oh, nothing much. Just forged you an invitation to the Royal Masquerade Ball and arranged a carriage for the both of us.. of course, if you’re too busy…”</p><p>Genevieve rose to her feet and flung her arms around her sister. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”</p><p>“You’re welcome, you’re welcome!”</p><p>Genevieve sighed. “But the aunts will not approve.”</p><p>Annalisa laughed. “No, they will not. But I will not allow them to have a say in the matter tonight. I will somehow convince them that the queen herself has requested your presence, as she has genuinely requested mine!”</p><p>Genevieve clasped the book in her hand. “Then I shall go to the ball, and dance with my charming..”</p><p>“Genevieve!” Kana’s bellow could be heard from between the shelves, then he started to approach the two of them. “You had better hope I was only hearing things because if I find that you’re socialising instead of working, I’ll swear to the Queen that I’ll…”</p><p>“Swear to the Queen that you’ll what, exactly?” Annalisa snarled.</p><p>“Miss Annalisa? I didn’t know that..”</p><p>“That I was taking my beloved sister away from here on important family business? Of course not. How could you have? Now, do be a darling and finish this work for her while she’s gone. I hear the library requires two copies, is that right?”</p><p>“Of course..” Kana settled at the desk and began to write immediately. Genevieve giggled at Annalisa. How wonderful it must feel to have so much power. To be so important. Tonight, she might have a chance to pretend to be important.</p><p>She might even have a chance to dance with her mysterious new friend.</p><p>***</p><p>The ballroom of the palace was vast, as Genevieve looked around it, her azure blue mask firmly in place. Tonight was a big night for Annalisa and House Aster; Annalisa was to meet with the Queen to deliver an invitation to House Aster’s debut function.</p><p>“I’m sure by the night’s end, you’ll have half this palace pining for you, Genevieve,” Annalisa was saying.</p><p>Genevieve smiled. She would be happy with two or three honest and humble men. Or indeed, only one. But she’d looked around many times, and had not caught sight of the one in her mind.</p><p>“But this is where we must part. Before my audience with the Queen, I have to find someone.”</p><p>“Someone important?”</p><p>“I haven’t decided yet. Ask me again in the morning.” She giggled. “Actually, I danced with Percival Beaumont at the last function I attended here. Oh, should I dance with him again tonight I can die happy. There is something about the way he dances. You know what they say about men with rhythm in their step, don’t you Genevieve?”</p><p>Genevieve was speechless.</p><p>Annalisa sighed. “They exhibit rhythm <em>elsewhere.</em>”</p><p>“Yes, I did get what y…”</p><p>But Annalisa was already disappearing into the crowd of nobles with a wink back at Genevieve. Genevieve sighed. Her sister was flighty. She’d heard tales of many men over recent months. Best of luck to you, Percival Beaumont, she thought, as she headed over to the appetiser table. You will need it.</p><p>***</p><p>Following the consumption of some sumptuous breads and cheese, Genevieve was watching from the sidelines as a handsome man in a sun mask was mobbed by female admirers. In an apparent attempt to evade these ladies, he headed in Genevieve’s direction, and bowed deeply.</p><p>“Good evening, my lady. I can’t say I’ve seen you at court before.”</p><p>“Perhaps my mask is to blame,” Genevieve suggested.</p><p>“It must be,” the man agreed. “Perhaps the night will see the culprit removed.”</p><p>“It might, or it might not,” she sighed, glancing around the room.</p><p>“Then I propose a dance, and we’ll find out where the night will take us,” he said, smoothly.</p><p>“Interesting,” she noted, although she could see this was his way of escaping his crowd of ardent followers, who were already drawing closer to the two of them. “I am inclined to accept your proposal.”</p><p>Just then, a dark haired, dark skinned man in a moon mask clapped the sun masked man on the shoulder. “Who is your mysterious friend?”</p><p>“I could say the same of you,” giggled Genevieve at the newcomer.</p><p>"There are rumours of uninvited guests sneaking in,” he said sternly.</p><p>“Funny that someone else in a mask would question my motives,” Genevieve quipped. “I’m sure none of us have anything but our faces to hide.”</p><p>"Then you shouldn’t have a problem showing me your invitation,” he maintained.</p><p>"Kayden, you are merely eager to know our new friend’s name,” suggested the man in the sun-mask.</p><p>"So what if I am?” Kayden said to his friend.</p><p>"Then you’ll have to be far more charming like that,” she teased.  “As Sun-mask here has been.”</p><p>The moon-masked Kayden looked at her suspiciously, and then at his friend. “I can’t decide if she’s being cunning or coy.”</p><p>"Then I will leave the two of you to deliberate in peace.” She smiled. “If you’ll excuse me.” She turned away, to see a most surprising and welcome sight.</p><p>There he was.</p><p>The man from the library. Standing a few paces away, watching her carefully. Of course, he too was masked; an elaborate peacock feather design was his choice, but his eyes could be seen as clearly as she had witnessed them blink and open as she’d accidentally touched his hand yesterday.</p><p>“What of our dance?” Sun-mask called back to her.</p><p>Shaking, she turned back around to him. “I am sorry, my Lord. I have already promised a dance to someone else.”</p><p>The two of them looked at her curiously, and then beyond her, and nodded in understanding.</p><p>She turned back to the man in the peacock mask, seeing no recognition in his eyes, rather an alarmed, confused expression. But to hell with it. This was her one moment. She stepped towards him.</p><p>“My lord. I find myself without a dance partner.”</p><p>His mouth dropped open, an expression she had yet to see. “Ah, my lady. I have already danced this evening, I am afraid.”</p><p>She laughed. “But my lord, the night is still young. Shall we?”</p><p>Hesitantly, he stepped towards her, his blue eyes shining. “Very well, my lady.”</p><p>He followed her onto the dance floor in the way he had followed her towards the bookshelves in the library; she looked back at him, elation filling her heart. If only Annalisa were here to see this; she had not yet returned, perhaps she was by now meeting the queen. It was no matter, her two new friends Sun-mask and Moon-mask were watching with interest.</p><p> As the music resumed, to that she recognised immediately as the Cordonian Waltz, she turned to face him. He took her hand, gently, slowly, and lifted it to his lips, kissing the back of it delicately. A test of her composure; she felt sure she had passed but internally she was jumping up and down with elation. He then raised her arm into a ballroom stance, and together they began to glide along the dance floor in time with the music.</p><p>“My lady. Your moves are captivating,” he said, somewhat shyly.</p><p>She smiled. “Perhaps you’re an excellent lead.”</p><p>“Perhaps,” he pondered. “It has been said. However, it is also said that an excellent lead knows when to let his partner shine.”</p><p>They moved into a box step; and Genevieve relaxed into the move, but was surprised when he stepped forward erratically onto her toe.</p><p>“Whoops,” she said, sure it must have been her error. “Sorry.”</p><p>He looked as horrified as she felt. “Let me just..”</p><p>But within seconds he had moved so they were both dancing successfully down the length of the room with the other couples.</p><p>"I feel as if I recognise you from somewhere,” he muttered, eyeing her curiously.</p><p>“I would trust your instincts on that,” she giggled.</p><p>He sighed. “I just cannot place you. Were you at last week’s event?”</p><p>"Why no, although my sister tells me it was a marvellous occasion,” she commented.</p><p>He nodded, and they continued to box step across the room.</p><p>"Are you ready, my lady?” he soon murmured to her.</p><p>For what he meant she was not certain, but he took her hands and began to spin her around. She began to relax again, savouring this moment, one she planned to relive many many times. He was a natural; clearly a well accomplished dancer from a truly noble line.</p><p>"One final move,” he explained, and she found herself being twirled so that she was facing out, her back to her unknown partner as he drew her close; so close she felt butterflies all over as he drew his arms around her.</p><p>“My lord,” she said to him. “I regret that I do not even know your name. But I know there is <em>nobody </em>I’d rather be dancing with right now.”</p><p>He released her, and she turned out of the hold to see anxiety on his face. “I am flattered, my lady. However.. I… “</p><p>She sighed at his stammer. “I do not expect you to return the compliment, Peacock.” She smiled to herself. At least she had a nickname for him now. “However, just humour me in this moment.”</p><p>“Very well.”</p><p>The waltz began to conclude, and as they separated, he lifted her hand to his lips again. She felt an electric spark. “My lady.”</p><p>"My lord.” She smiled widely.</p><p>"Until we dance again,” he said softly. “My heart will dance a little more freely.”</p><p>She nodded. “Why, Peacock. Such beautiful words. Indeed, they could have come from a book of poetry.”</p><p>With immense satisfaction, she took a few seconds to see the recognition form and bloom in his blue eyes. Then she turned abruptly, and walked away through the crowds, smiling widely to herself.</p><p>It was up to Peacock now to seek her out. If he did, so much the better. If he did not, she had just created the perfect moment. She had to remember that this was not her life; in another life she might have had many such moments with him.</p><p>***</p><p>Searching for Annalisa proved fruitless. She wondered if she had made an opportunity to fool around with the man she had mentioned; more likely, another man. Eventually, however, she was approached by Vasco, the majordomo of their household, who had accompanied them here tonight at their aunts’ insistence by way of chaperone and assistance. He looked a little panicked.</p><p>“What is it, Vasco?”</p><p>“Ah, Miss Genevieve. I found the queen’s invitation to House Aster’s debut, which means I’ve given your sister the wrong one! I would correct this error and offer my resignation at once, but I cannot find your sister. I fear she’s been summoned to meet the queen early. She would look foolish handing out the wrong invitation.”</p><p>“I was wondering the same. I was just about to look for her, actually. I’ll give it to her.”</p><p>Vasco shook his head. “The guards won’t let you..”</p><p>“What choice do we have?”</p><p>After a moment of hesitation, Vasco handed the invitation to Genevieve. “The throne room sits at the centre of the palace. Go with haste.”</p><p>Genevieve headed in that direction, navigating between groups of nobles and servants. She wondered if she might catch sight of Peacock again; she did not. She contemplated the wisdom of telling Annalisa about her dance with him. But sharing a spoken narrative of the experience might dilute the heavenly memory.</p><p>On arriving at the throne room door, Genevieve was puzzled to see the door unguarded. She pushed it open, very carefully, and was met by a sight most terrible.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Sent from heaven (Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Week 7 - write a fic with a song title.</p><p>So I have a whole new WIP with a song title which I haven't started to publish yet (and I'm so excited how the song and the song title both fit the fic so perfectly!). But it's not ready yet, so I thought of another song by the same band and it led to this little OTP oneshot. </p><p>The song is "Sent from Heaven" by My Life Story.</p><p>Note - discusses parental loss and bereavement.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Jen woke up the next morning, her very first thought had been the same as her very last thought last night, and it was a lovely one; the recollection of yesterday’s little treat, getting to see Maxwell clad only in a towel. She was beginning to think she was going to feel lowkey disappointed should he knock on her door fully clothed this morning.</p><p>This morning. Suddenly she remembered what this morning represented.</p><p>The fact began to sink in. And she suddenly felt incredibly guilty for being distracted by something so frivolous. Fifteen years ago today her life had changed forever.</p><p>Normally this was a difficult day for her. Last year it had been quite an empty one. For the few years before that, it had been an opportunity for her to be constantly reminded how lucky she was not to be alone. Before that, it had still been a little raw. She wondered how today would feel. Sure, she would be able to keep her mind off it, as she knew there were events planned today.</p><p>She got up, washed, got dressed, and before she knew it there came the typical knock on the door, five minutes earlier than arranged, but that was a bonus. She went to answer it.</p><p>“Good morning, future Queen!”</p><p>“Good morning, Maxwell,” she said, sleepily.</p><p>“Ready for another exciting day of pre-nuptial festivities?”</p><p>Perhaps she wasn’t ready; she felt a wave of emotion hitting her.</p><p>“Jen? What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry..” She wiped her eyes, realising how pathetic this was, but through her tears all she could see was his concern.</p><p>“Hey…” He looked around. “Alright if I…?”</p><p>She nodded and walked into the room, turning her back to him and heading to the far corner of her bedroom, still dabbing at her eyes.</p><p>“What’s happened?” she heard him say once he had gently shut the door. “Jen?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m just being silly,” she protested. “Just forget it. I’ll be fine.”</p><p>She still had her back to him but suddenly felt his warm arms emerge from behind her, enveloping her in a hug. “Hey. You’re not fine now.”</p><p>She sighed and leant into him. “I will be. And this is definitely helping.”</p><p>He chuckled. “Good to know.”</p><p>She turned around, his arms staying in place now resting on her back, and looked at him. “I wasn’t going to say anything. It’s silly.”</p><p>“I’m silly, Jen. So I’ll understand.”</p><p>Her heart swelled. “You probably will understand.” She felt comfortable telling him in a way that she didn’t think she would with anyone else. “It’s the anniversary of my parents’ death today.”</p><p>"Oh, Jen. I can’t begin to imagine what that feels like.”</p><p>She cocked her head. “I thought you might be able to. You’ve lost both of your parents too.”</p><p>He looked a little shaken for a moment. “But not on the same day like you. And so suddenly. It must be awful.”</p><p>She nodded, and felt more tears coming. “I still feel so guilty, Fifteen years on, it still hurts to feel that if it wasn’t for me going to that stupid party, they might still be here today, you know?” She sniffed, and rested her head on his shoulder.</p><p>She felt his hands fidget against her back; she knew it had to be unintentional on his part but it was really doing things to her. “Jen, you can’t blame yourself. You know that deep down, right?”</p><p>“I know.” She sighed, trying to hold back the tears. “It doesn’t mean I don’t wonder what they’d be doing now, how my life might be different..”</p><p>“Huh, yeah, you might not be stuck with me while we try and figure out how to get you back on the road to Queensville.”</p><p>“Pretty sure I would,” she admitted. “But I still wonder what they’d make of it. I miss them.”</p><p>“I get that,” he sighed. “I miss my mom too. Twenty years on, that still stings. Every January 7 is tough for me, like today must be tough for you.”</p><p>She leant outwards, looking at him. “Do you miss your dad too?”</p><p>“Yeah. I mean there are days I just wish I could see him.. talk to him. But then, I don’t think he’d be all that impressed with what I’ve done with my life, since he...” He was looking at his feet, his fingers still twitching energetically behind her.</p><p>“Why not? You’re such a credit to him. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for right now.” She nudged his chin upwards so he looked at her again. His blue eyes carried a sadness she didn’t see too often.</p><p>“He has…. <em>had</em>.. different values.”</p><p>She nodded, letting her hand brush against his arm, it just felt instinctive.</p><p>Suddenly he perked up, releasing his hold on her. “Still, your parents would have been thrilled for you, right? Getting your chance to travel and see the world like you’d always dreamed?”</p><p>“Yeah.” She sighed. “I wish I could tell them. And I wish I’d had the chance to tell them before how much I loved them. It was so.. sudden.”</p><p>He nodded, placing his hands on her arms now. “I’m pretty sure they would have told you they loved you too, and that they’d watch over you.”</p><p>“Is that what your parents said to you?”</p><p>He bit his lip. “My mom told me that one day, when I was ready for it, she’d send me someone else to love me as much as she did. She promised.”</p><p>Jen felt herself welling up again, but not due to her own grief. “You’re still waiting?”</p><p>“For now.” He looked wistfully at her, and she almost wondered whether she should tell him how she felt. She knew she could be that person sent from heaven. It was what she wanted more than anything. But it wasn’t what he wanted to hear from her. He needed her to keep her eyes on the goal.</p><p>“Y’know, Jen, maybe this is what it’s all about. Your parents are looking down on you now and making things right for you. We will clear your name, Jen. I promise you. You will get your chance to be queen.”</p><p>And there he went again, proving her point. Despite that, she allowed herself to sink into his shoulder again, still damp from her initial tears. His hands travelled lightly up and down her arms. She didn’t ever want to move away.</p><p>“Now, come on. Hana will be here any minute. You have to stop crying on my shoulder. You’ll wreck the shirt fibres.”</p><p>She giggled, and did as she was told. “Thanks, Maxwell. I mean it. I needed this.”</p><p>“What are BFFs for?” He winked at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back.</p><p>There was another knock on the door, and he dashed over to answer it. “Ooh, here’s Hana, right on time..”</p><p>She smiled as he went, taking a deep breath. Right now, it felt like he’d been sent from heaven for her.</p><p>“Hey, Hana! Come on, Jen, let’s go!” she heard him shout.</p><p>“Morning Hana,” Jen said, as she left her room. “So, what’s the purpose of today’s country picnic?”</p><p>“To serve as a send-off,” said Maxwell as they started to make their way along the corridor. “And to remind the new couple, amidst the glitz and glamour of a royal engagement tour, of the beauty and bounty of Cordonia!”</p><p> “It’s our last day in Cordonia, then our travels begin!” Hana explained.</p><p>Jen was puzzled. “Wait, our last day in Cordonia?”</p><p>“You know, we leave for the Rick and Madeleine world tour tomorrow!” Maxwell said, in excitement. “First stop, Italy!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Never by me (Olivia Nevrakis/Constantine Rys)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This week's challenge - write a ship that would NEVER be canon</p><p>Okay so my main ship is a canon ship. and thinking through my fandom I can actually see certain ships that could eventually be canon one day, or they might turn out to have been once upon a time, so this was hard. Plus I wanted something edgy, so here we are!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Coronation Ball was in full swing, and King Constantine of Cordonia sat alone in his King’s quarters, slowly sipping a strong drink, wishing them a silent goodbye.</p><p>Regina had already moved their possessions out so that Rick could move in without delay tomorrow morning. She knew far more than Rick about the severity of his illness, of course. She couldn’t wait for him to stand down. She’d wanted him to do so for years now, but he was old and stubborn and wouldn’t have anyone telling him what to do. Not even his queen.</p><p>In half an hour or so, he would have to join her in the ballroom of course,. He would announce that Rick’s moment had arrived, the transfer of power, the selection of his queen. He remembered with nostalgia the moment he’d chosen his own princess. Of course he’d not known it then, but he’d not had long himself at that point before he’d been thrust into the role of king when his father had suffered that unexpected and untimely heart attack.</p><p>Elizabeth had not coped with the role of queen. And he knew that Jen wouldn’t either. Which was why she had to go. With those hapless Beaumont boys as her stewards, he figured that hopefully she’d have seen sense and bowed out by now. He really hoped he wouldn’t have to engage step 2, for Rick’s sake alone. He would do it if he had to.</p><p>He was less confident in his other scheme succeeding at step 1 though. However, he had a step 2 for that as well. All prepared. Just ready to go. That woman could never become queen. For reasons she knew very well.</p><p>As he sat in silent solitude, he heard a gradual raising of voices in the distance, and so it was not unexpected when there was a tap on his door.</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>His head of security, Bastien opened his door.</p><p>“Bastien, why are you not downstairs?”</p><p>“Your Majesty. I have the Duchess of Lythikos here. She is insisting on an immediate audience with you.”</p><p>He sighed. This was not entirely unexpected. “Let her in.” He took a long swig of his drink, and in marched the Scarlett Duchess.</p><p>She slammed the door in Bastien’s face and paced over to his chair. She was brandishing a note. “This was you, wasn’t it? Trying to scare me off!”</p><p>He smiled. “Olivia, you know as well as I do that I can’t let you be Rick’s queen.”</p><p>“Listen.” She pulled him up out of his chair, and put her hands around his neck. “You might still be in charge now, but Rick will be by the end of the evening. And he gets to choose then. Not you.”</p><p>“Get off me, Livvy.”</p><p>As he used her familiar name, something softened in her, and she let go. He gasped, and sat back down again, as she composed herself.</p><p>“I can see you’re going to need a little more persuasion.” He reached across to the drawer of his desk, and produced a brown envelope. “This is a full dossier of evidence proving beyond reasonable doubt that your parents were involved in the plot to assassinate me and my family in 1999.”</p><p>He handed the envelope to her, and her angry face transformed to that of a vulnerable teenager again. She tore it open. “Photographs, handwritten statements, what does this prove…”</p><p>Constantine knew the Nevrakises weren’t the ringleaders of Operation Snowspear. He thought he knew who that ringleader had been, given his oh so convenient illness not so long afterwards. But Olivia didn’t need to know that. “I don’t expect you to sit and read it all now. But it’s all there. I never wanted to make it public, Livvy. But I will, if that’s what it takes.”</p><p>“You beast!” She threw the envelope to one side. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”</p><p>“I didn’t want to taint your memories of your parents,” he admitted. “You’d been through enough.” It was the truth. His heart was not completely made of stone, despite what most people thought. Besides, he believed they’d been manipulated into their actions. They hadn’t been bad people.</p><p>They’d still had to die by his hand though.</p><p>“You told me they died protecting the Crown,” she cried, sitting down on the bed. “How could you…”</p><p>“I was protecting you by telling you that,” he admitted. “But, you don’t need protecting anymore. You’re a grown woman. A fierce one at that. But now you must be able to see. I cannot let you rule.”</p><p>“Don’t you care that Rick loves me?”</p><p>He laughed. He knew how to handle this. “You really think he does? My research seems to indicate otherwise.”</p><p>Her eyes flared. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“He’s all over the American waitress like a rash.”</p><p>Olivia raised her eyebrows. “Actually, I have my suspicions she doesn’t return his feelings.” She sighed, and looked at her hands. “She’s an idiot.”</p><p>“Interesting,” he mused. He hadn’t got that impression, but he hadn’t really been so close to the ground as Olivia had. “Still, Lady Jen’s feelings mean nothing in any case. He’ll choose her tonight over you, and you know it.” He wasn’t prepared to tell her he would be responsible for Lady Jen’s removal too, one way or another. “You’re long forgotten, Olivia. By him, anyway.” He stood up. “But never by me. I don’t want to see you get hurt, Livvy. That’s why I’m offering you a way out. You mean a lot to me, even now.” He sat next to her on the bed.</p><p>“Don’t you dare come near me,” she warned, but she didn’t back away.</p><p>“Or what? What will you do, Livvy?” He put a hand on her knee.</p><p>He knew what to expect, although it had been a long time since the last time; she pulled him close and kissed him violently and he reciprocated with gusto. When she pulled away, he couldn’t help but splutter and wheeze.</p><p>She looked at him sympathetically. “You really are unwell, Constantine, aren’t you?”</p><p>“I am. And I may not be able to pull the strings around here for much longer,” he admitted. Then he grabbed her by the wrist, his expression changing. “But I still do right now. And this is what is going to happen. You will withdraw from selection tonight, and you will leave court. If you do not do that, then I make that information public.”</p><p>She laughed. “And what if I make <em>my</em> information public?”</p><p>He was one step ahead of her. “You really want to put Rick through that? Knowing that his father and his girlfriend were sleeping together back then? I don’t think so, Livvy. Besides, what would discrediting me now achieve? Tonight, my reign comes to an end.”</p><p>“I could say you took advantage of me,” she pouted.</p><p>“And do you think Rick’s ever going to look at you again if you do that? Don’t you think whenever he saw you, he’d be reminded of what we did? Because I’d tell him, Livvy. I’ve probably got evidence somewhere I could show him. I’m not afraid of hurting him. It’s all character-building for the boy. He needs to toughen up if he’s going to make a good King.”</p><p>“What about Regina? Do you not care about her feelings?”</p><p>He laughed. “I’m going to die soon anyway. It might actually be better for her in the long run if she hates me when that happens.”</p><p>“You really are a sick little weasel,” she spat, pulling out of his grasp. “You know what? I think I will get out of here.” She stood up. “I hope you die before I ever have to see you again.”</p><p>She stormed out, and Constantine sighed. He knew she didn’t mean that. But he meant every word he’d said to her.</p><p>One down. Twenty minutes to go. He took out his phone and called down to his man on the ground. “Is our American guest still with us?”</p><p>“Affirmative,” was the reply. “I’ve been watching her. She’s had her note, read it, Bertrand and Maxwell Beaumont have both read it too, in fact she seemingly discussed it at length with Maxwell, but she’s still here. She’s actually with Rick now. I’m not sure where they’ve gone. I imagine she may be discussing it with him too.”</p><p>Constantine sighed. “Then you know what you have to do. Do it now.”</p><p>“I will, Your Majesty.”</p><p>He stood up again, went back to his desk, picked up the envelope including the Nevrakis information, folded and stuffed it into his inner jacket pocket, and drained his drink. Then there was a tap at the door, and Regina came in.</p><p>“Shouldn’t you come down now, darling? We don’t have long.”</p><p>“Indeed, my love,” he said, painting on a smile. “Let’s go and see who Rick has chosen.” He held out his hand for her to take, and together they left the King’s quarters for the last time.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The answers (Maxwell Beaumont & Hana Lee)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Week 10 - write a fic for the ship you're ashamed to love!</p>
<p>Okay so I am ashamed of myself for loving what I did with this ship in this fic if that makes sense... My main criticism of fics that pair Maxwell and Hana up is that very often they just seem to be plonked together because it's convenient. No chemistry, no development, just no. So when I then decided in TQMN that they'd get engaged because it was convenient to my plot... just happily trolling myself, yeah!</p>
<p>So here is the Haxwell moment from TQMN where Jen thinks her life has just come falling down around her... but she's not in the loop. Followed by the loop. from Maxwell's POV.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Countess Madeleine,” Jen said, politely. “How lovely to see you here. I’m sure you’re <em>devastated</em> not to have been selected as queen.”</p>
<p>Madeleine shot her an icy glare. “Not so. I only want what is best for my country, and I believe Lady Hana will make a wonderful queen. Given my experience as a future queen, I have actually volunteered to assist Lady Hana as chief lady-in-waiting, to help her understand her role and expectations.”</p>
<p><em>Of course you have</em>, thought Jen. She’d never trusted Madeleine. Madeleine was glowering at her, smugly.</p>
<p>“That is very considerate of you under the circumstances, Countess Madeleine,” Rick said. “I believe Lady Jen was hoping to speak with Lady Hana?” </p>
<p>Madeleine looked across the room. “Well, all she has to do is locate King Maxwell. Lady Hana will not be far from his side. They are so <em>adorable</em> together.” She smiled viciously at Jen, who could tell Madeleine was enjoying every second of this. “The two of them are like something out of a fairytale. They seem so content. Ah. Just take a look for yourselves.”</p>
<p>Madeleine pointed across the room, and Jen saw. She’d been trying not to search for them, but there they were. She focussed on Maxwell first; he seemed his happy, playful self, as he worked the room with a wide grin, but then she noticed his arm tightly around Hana, and his other hand on her shoulder, toying with her bare skin.</p>
<p>Hana too was glowing; she looked every inch the princess. Jen had never seen her look so happy. She watched as Maxwell kissed Hana on the cheek, and then gently on the lips, neither of them seeming to care that others were trying to engage with them.</p>
<p>“Maxwell! Hana!” Rick called over to them.</p>
<p>Jen wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole as the two of them looked in her direction.</p>
<p>She focused on Maxwell’s expression carefully. It seemed to go through a kaleidoscope of emotions. Shock, elation, hurt, awkwardness… and then the trademark grin was plastered on.</p>
<p>“HEYYY! RICK! JEN! You made it!”</p>
<p>He launched in their direction, Hana following closely behind, mainly because he was clinging onto her hand.</p>
<p>“Bring it in! Group hugggg!”</p>
<p>Jen couldn’t help herself, she just needed to be close to him, and this was probably the best chance she was going to get.</p>
<p>Once they all pulled apart, she noticed how wired with energy Maxwell was. Not that this was unusual, but.. more so than usual.</p>
<p>“It’s so good to see you both! We’ve missed you guys so much, haven’t we Hana?”</p>
<p>Hana looked happily at Jen. “Like you wouldn’t believe. It’s lovely to see you. How are you doing, Jen?”</p>
<p>Jen was shocked at Hana’s candid manner. “I’m.. doing okay. It’s good to see you too.”</p>
<p>“Oh, we’ve got so much to talk about.” Hana exchanged a glance with Maxwell, who looked cautiously back at her. “But I think it’ll have to wait until after dinner now.”</p>
<p>“Very wise, my little plum blossom,” said Maxwell to Hana, putting his hand back around her waist.</p>
<p><em>Little plum blossom? </em>Jen felt her last hopes break in two. She couldn’t look at him.</p>
<p>“We need to take our seats in any case,” Rick explained. “Congratulations, you two. You look every inch the happy couple this evening.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s because we are,” said Maxwell. “Hashtag Haxwell is trending on Pictagram right now, you know? The country’s as crazy about us as we are about each other.” He kissed Hana on the cheek, and then winked deliberately at Jen.</p>
<p>Jen bit her lip, not knowing how to react or how to feel right now.</p>
<p>“I’ll try to find you later, Jen,” Hana explained. “Enjoy the rest of the evening.”</p>
<p>As Rick led Jen away, she was determined not to break down and make her devastation obvious to everyone in the room. </p>
<p>“I have to say, I’m impressed with your composure. You handled that very well, Jen.”</p>
<p> “What were you expecting me to do? Cry?” It was what she felt like doing.</p>
<p>“No, but I thought you might have had more questions, that they might not have been able to answer right now.”</p>
<p>Her head was full of them. “It’s not that I don’t have questions..”</p>
<p>
  <em>If only she had the answers right now.</em>
</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>
  <em>THE ANSWERS</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>FOUR WEEKS AGO – MAXWELL’S POV</em>
</p>
<p>It was the early hours of the morning by the time the car arrived back at the palace, but Maxwell was in charge now and there was no way he was tiptoeing about. He needed answers.</p>
<p>He marched in, and up to his father’s quarters. They were empty. Of course. Ready for him to move into them, fresh from his triumphant night of glory. <em>Ha-bloody-ha.</em></p>
<p>He thundered back through the doors and down the corridor towards the royal family’s accommodation, where one of his father’s security details ran out to meet him.</p>
<p>“Where is he? Where the fuck is my fucking father, Mara?”</p>
<p>So despite Drake’s best efforts on the way back here, he’d not calmed down. He was frustrated and furious and heartbroken and angry and in actual pain and he just wanted to kill someone, preferably his miserable excuse for an overbearing, unloving, interfering father right now.</p>
<p>Mara looked a little shocked. “Your Majesty… I’m sure he will see you when you have calmed down a little..”</p>
<p>“Oh, there’s no calming me down, Mara. Not now, not ever. After what <em>he </em>just made me do? What I had to do to the girl I….” <em>Love. But I can’t say that out loud. </em>“The girl I wanted for my queen, more than anything. Why did he make me do it? I didn’t have to do it!”</p>
<p>“You did, Maxwell,” Bertrand boomed as he approached from behind him. “If you hadn’t chosen a queen tonight, the whole world would have wanted to know why. You know the Cordonian laws.”</p>
<p>Maxwell stood on his tiptoes, puffed out his chest and faced his brother bravely. “I <strong><em>am </em></strong>the Cordonian laws now.”</p>
<p>“No, you are not!”</p>
<p>He turned around to see his father, now waiting at the door, and he of course charged in his direction. “You! You made me break my promises, for what?”</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t have made any promises to Jen, Maxwell,” Barthelemy sighed. “You had to choose a queen to take the throne tonight. And you did, and you chose very well. You couldn’t choose a contender who showed you, and the process, such disrespect.”</p>
<p>“Again, you are not listening to me!” He clenched his fists in anger, and Mara stepped between him and his father. “She was set up! I saw her that night! Tariq forced his way into her room! Drake had to pretty much pull him off her, right Drake?” He looked at Drake desperately.</p>
<p>“Right,” Drake said.</p>
<p>“But you have no proof of this to present to the press,” Bertrand stated. “Who currently believe Jen has been cavorting with another noble while staying under our roof, given the evidence they have been presented with. And what the press present, the people will believe.”</p>
<p>“I shouldn’t need proof,” he sighed, emotion starting to get the better of him again. “I don’t need proof. She wouldn’t. She didn’t.”</p>
<p>“Whoa,” said Drake. “Let’s not have this conversation all over again. Come on. Let’s get you a drink.”</p>
<p>
  <em>I don’t want a drink! I just want my little blossom back... </em>
</p>
<p>But he looked at Drake and Drake looked like he might be the only person who understood how he felt right now. “It better have glitter in it.”</p>
<p>Drake pulled a face.</p>
<p>“You heard me. I’m King now. If that doesn’t mean I can demand glitter in my drinks, then what’s the point?”</p>
<p>Drake rolled his eyes, and headed out of the royal quarters. Maxwell glared back at his “family” one more, then followed Drake.</p>
<p>“Where are we going?” he asked, as Drake led him through the security doors into the main wing of the palace.</p>
<p>“Hana will know what to do,” he stated.</p>
<p>
  <em>Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of that before? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh god though. Isn’t this going to be a bit weird now me and Hana are engaged?</em>
</p>
<p>Drake tapped on a bedroom door, and there was a pause of about twenty seconds, before Hana answered it, dressed in an oriental nightrobe.</p>
<p>“Oh. Your Majesty! Drake!”</p>
<p>“Can we come in, Hana?” Drake asked.</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>Maxwell sloped into the room, and sat on the bed, putting his head in his hands because he knew the tears were coming again and kings didn’t cry. As he silently sobbed, he could hear Drake relaying the events of the last few hours to Hana. Hana wasn’t saying a lot in response. There wasn’t a lot she could say.</p>
<p>And when Drake got to the end, describing the conversation he’d just had with Bertrand and his father, Hana came to sit next to him.</p>
<p>“Maxwell, I’m so very sorry.”</p>
<p>He took a deep shaky breath and pulled his hands away from his puffy eyes. “No, Hana. I’m sorry. This is super shitty for you. She was just….” He shook his head. “In my head, Jen… she was my only choice. And I guess it must hurt you to hear that.”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t,” she said, as Drake went to fix a drink at the minibar. “I knew you would choose her. I could see that there was something special between the two of you.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t go that far,” he sighed, nervous that admitting his feelings, even to Hana and Drake, would jinx everything. “But if there’s anyway we can make this right for her, Hana, we have to. She doesn’t deserve this.”</p>
<p>“No she doesn’t,” agreed Hana. “She’s the last person who deserves this.”</p>
<p>They both heard a thud, which turned out to be Drake punching the wall.</p>
<p>“I think Drake agrees,” Hana pointed out. “Here, let me get those drinks.”</p>
<p>Drake looked as wound up as Maxwell felt, as he slumped back across the room. “Whoever set her up, they’ve got that coming to them.”</p>
<p>“Well, they’ll be dead already if I get to them first,” Maxwell sighed.</p>
<p>Hana passed a whisky to him.</p>
<p>“No glitter in that, Hana?” Drake laughed.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry?”</p>
<p>Maxwell grabbed it and downed it anyway. “Uggggghhhh. Feeling the burn. More please Hana!”</p>
<p>“Here, have mine,” she said, passing him another glass.</p>
<p>“Well, this bodes well,” he sighed. “A queen who at least keeps me in drinks. Thanks, Hana.”</p>
<p>Hana looked at him with wide eyes. “I think it’s me who owes you my thanks, Maxwell.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “For choosing me tonight. It means I won’t have to go back to China, that I can stay here, in a place that feels more like home.”</p>
<p>He threw his arms around her and pulled her tight. “Listen, Hana. You’ve always been my second choice. It was an easy decision for me to make when I was put on the spot. So. thank you.”</p>
<p>She smiled as they pulled apart, but she looked uncertain. “All the same, how can I repay you?”</p>
<p>Oh, he knew the answer to that. “You can help me clear Jen’s name. I may have to accept that she’ll never be my queen now, but she does not deserve to have her reputation torn into shreds. She’s the best one out of all of us.”</p>
<p>Hana nodded in agreement. “I’ll do anything I can to help.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure where we start, to be honest.” He threw a hand though his hair. “Any thoughts?”</p>
<p>Hana stood up, and began to pace up and down. Maxwell looked out of the window. It was getting light. He pulled out his phone, and sent a text to Jen.</p>
<p>
  <em>MEANT WHAT I SAID. I’LL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. PLS LET ME KNOW YOU’RE OK AND GOT TO VALTORIA SAFE xx WANT TO COME AND SEE YOU SOON XX *kiss emoji*</em>
</p>
<p>Rick would look after Jen, he was sure of it. Rick wouldn’t let her see whatever the press came up with tomorrow. And after tomorrow, Maxwell would do everything that was in his newly gained and slightly terrifying power to silence them from saying anything further. He swore it.</p>
<p>“We have to be careful,” Hana said. “We don’t know who set Jen up. And we don’t know why. We don’t want them knowing you’re trying to clear Jen’s name. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it. I understand why you should.  I’m just saying that we need to make it look like they’ve won. They didn’t want you to choose her. And, you chose me. But whoever they are, they need to think they’ve won. You have to make them think you’re fine, and that this doesn’t matter to you.”</p>
<p>He gasped. That was it! “I have to make them think that I’m in love with you, Hana!”</p>
<p>“Uh..” Hana looked a little frightened, and who could blame her?</p>
<p>“Think about it!” He jumped up, newly invigorated. “If we’re all loved up, nobody can question it! I chose you because I’m head over heels in love with you. If you want, you can pretend to be head over heels in love with me as well… your call..”</p>
<p>Hana laughed, and he heard Drake let out a long sigh.</p>
<p>“I can do that,” she admitted. “It would help convince my parents and the court, I suppose.”</p>
<p>“We’d only need to be lovey-dovey in public, but wow, think of how the press will lap it up!” Then he realised something with a jolt. “But we’d have to tell Jen. Should I text her now?”</p>
<p>“No, wait, we need to fully think this through before we commit to it,” Hana said. “But I think it would work. What happens when we do clear her name though?”</p>
<p>He took a deep breath. That was a good question. Pretending to be in love with Hana was one thing, but it was Jen he loved, he knew that now, and he couldn’t see that ever changing. Of course, she might not feel the same; but that heartstopping kiss they’d shared in Valtoria was screaming otherwise at him every time he closed his eyes.   </p>
<p>“Maxwell, I know how you feel about her. And I’m certain she feels the same. If her name is cleared before we marry, I’ll stand aside.”</p>
<p>Maxwell gasped. “You’d do that?”</p>
<p>Hana nodded. “I would.”</p>
<p>He grasped her hands in his. “Why would you do that? For me? For her?”</p>
<p>“For both of you. You two are the best friends I’ve ever had,” she admitted. “And friends want their friends to be happy.”</p>
<p>Maxwell turned to Drake. “Do you think it would work?”</p>
<p>“Maybe?” Drake said. “I’ll head to Valtoria tomorrow, after I’ve got some sleep.”</p>
<p>“I’ll come with you…” Maxwell insisted.</p>
<p>“No. Like Hana said, you have to let them think you’re happy, remember.”</p>
<p>“Aw..” He knew Drake was right. “Okay. You go to Valtoria and tell Rick the plan. And you?” He turned to Hana. “I think I just fell in love with you anyway for what you’re doing for me right now. Hey!” He jumped up, and pulled her up too, into a quick sneaky dance. She smiled warmly at him.</p>
<p>“We need a hashtag. What’dya think, Drake? Maxna? Hanwell?”</p>
<p>Drake folded his arms and rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“What about Haxwell?” Hana suggested.</p>
<p>“Perfect!” Maxwell began to moonwalk. “We’ll have hashtag Haxwell trending by the day of the Coronation ceremony, just you wait!”</p>
<p>And for a moment, he actually felt like his whole world hadn’t just ended, and that there was a glimmer of hope that the girl he loved more than life itself could still be the one to rule beside him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Good to the last drop (Maxwell Beaumont/Original Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So for week 11 it's Coffee Shop AU week!</p>
<p>This is a companion fic to "What the Future Holds" - writing these two stories alongside each other was a lot of fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maxwell was buzzing with nervous excitement when he arrived at Drake and Meghan’s flat for the first time. He was just about to dramatically knock on the door, then he had a thought.</p>
<p>
  <em>Um, what if they’re “busy”?</em>
</p>
<p>He decided to send Meghan a text. <em>U GUYS IN?</em></p>
<p>He didn’t get a response.</p>
<p>
  <em>Crap. They might be busy.</em>
</p>
<p>He decided that he’d wander up and down the street a bit until he got a response. But five minutes later, still no response. <em>Awww.</em></p>
<p>He didn’t really know how to feel about this. When Meghan was at court, he’d always been able to turn up to her room unannounced, bounce in whenever it suited him, and she’d always greeted him with a welcoming smile, and sometimes a big hug... But now she was living with Drake…  <em>engaged </em>to Drake…. It didn’t seem that awkward to start with, but now…</p>
<p>Still no response. He looked across the street and saw a coffee shop. Looked like one of those American wannabe ones. <em>NYCOFFEE. </em>Ooh, clever! Probably run by someone as Cordonian as apples, but it wasn’t like there were any clubs open right now, so maybe he’d pop in there to kill some time. It was a tad chilly after all.</p>
<p>He opened the door, and it smelt like coffee heaven. He quickly shut the door behind him, not wanting to let any of that delicious aroma out. He headed to the counter. Nobody else was in here, there was no barista behind the counter as he headed to it.</p>
<p>But then the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life came out to meet him.</p>
<p>She had the most amazing green eyes, soft brown skin, and her hair was a sea of perfect black curls, although she wore a little barista hat to keep them back from her face. She wore a dark brown uniform, with a bright orange badge saying “Jen”.</p>
<p>And then she smiled at him and it almost knocked him out.</p>
<p>“Hey. Welcome to NYCoffee. What can I get you?”</p>
<p>
  <em>And ohmygod, she’s actually from New York too. Just like Meghan.</em>
</p>
<p>“Uh….”</p>
<p>Then she giggled. “You’ve not been in here before, right? I’ll give you a minute to peruse the menu.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Right. Right Maxwell. Peruse the menu. Not the hot American barista.</em>
</p>
<p>She started wiping down the countertop, he did briefly start looking at the menu but his eyes soon flickered back to her. <em>Oh god. Someone help me.</em></p>
<p>“Think I need help,” he said. “What would you recommend?”</p>
<p>She looked up at him. “Well, I make a mean cortado.”</p>
<p>“Then one of those, please!”</p>
<p>“Sure. Drink in or take away?”</p>
<p>“Oh, definitely drink in.” He intended to stay in this heavenly being’s presence for as long as could be deemed socially acceptable.</p>
<p>He watched, enchanted, as she prepared the drink, swirling what looked like the logo from the shop window onto the top. “There. That’ll be three euros please.”</p>
<p>He flashed his card at her, and she took it. She laughed for some reason as she put it through her card reader.</p>
<p>“Y’know, we don’t sell your type of coffee here,” she said with a smirk, when she gave him his card back.</p>
<p>“I don’t get it.”</p>
<p>“You know. Your <em>House </em>coffee.”</p>
<p>Ohhh, she’d seen the name on his card and she’d figured out who he was. But wait, what was she talking about? “House Beaumont don’t do their own coffee… at least I don’t think we do?”</p>
<p>“What?” She looked as confused as he was now.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I was talking about Maxwell House.”</p>
<p>“Ohhh..” He got it now, and made fingerguns at her. “That’s me. Good to the last drop.”</p>
<p>She raised her eyebrows. “Well, hopefully you’ll think that about my cortado.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>It was now day eight of Jen’s NYCoffee adventure, and hopefully today would be a bit busier than yesterday had been. That had been a drag. The first few days had gone really well. There’d been plenty of passing trade, a new shop, a few balloons outside, a few freebies, that had got people in. But then there’d been a few quiet days too. Sunday had been one of them, in fact Sunday had been even deader than yesterday. She was wondering if she should think about closing on Sundays, actually. It would give her a day off before she got established enough to take on an assistant barista.</p>
<p>But having said that, Sunday had resulted in her favourite customer so far, and she’d have missed out on him if she’d not opened on Sunday. Hey, maybe he’d be back next Sunday? She had given him a loyalty card, after all. Buy nine drink-in coffees, get your tenth free. She liked the thought of him coming back that many times.</p>
<p><em>Dammit, Jen,</em> she chastised herself.<em> You can’t go crushing on the customers. You can tell you’re starved of social contact other than people you serve coffee to.</em></p>
<p>The door opened, and you couldn’t make it up. It was Maxwell. Still cute, still flashing that flirtatious smile.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she said, delighted to see him again, but then realising that it might seem very weird that she remembered him instantly. “Welcome to NYCoffee. What can I get you?”</p>
<p>“Ooh,” he said, sliding onto a stool. “Another one of your mean cortados, please.”</p>
<p>“Sure. Drink in?”</p>
<p>“Uh.. yep!”</p>
<p>She busied herself making the drink, carefully drawing her best logo on the top, and presented it to him with a flourish. “Three euros, please.”</p>
<p>He passed her his card again, she was careful not to brush her fingers against his, although she was sorely tempted to. <em>Jen, you’re here to serve them coffee, not seduce them. Keep it together. </em></p>
<p>“Like the name, by the way,” she said. “Not just the Maxwell bit.” She ran her fingers along the name on the card, MAXWELL P BEAUMONT.</p>
<p>“Thanks. Best you don’t ask me what the P stands for then.”</p>
<p>She smiled as she turned back to look at him, still holding his card. He was just her type. Tousled hair, smartly dressed, slim built, blue eyes, great cheekbones, and the brightest smile.</p>
<p>“Ok, I won’t. I think I’d rather imagine the hilarious and maybe slightly offensive possibilities instead,” she said, passing it back to him.</p>
<p>“Uh, I’m now thinking I should tell you.”</p>
<p>“Nah. That’ll spoil my fun.” She looked around. “I don’t have a middle name. Much safer that way.”</p>
<p> “I’m lowkey jealous,” he said, and she looked back at him to see he was now glancing around. “So. You actually from New York then?”</p>
<p>“I actually am,” she said.</p>
<p>“Sweet. D’you know my friend Meghan? She moved here not so long ago from New York.”</p>
<p>“Uh, you realise the population of New York City is 8 million, right?”</p>
<p>“So you’re saying you don’t know 8 million people?” He folded his arms. “I’m disappointed, Jen.”</p>
<p>“I barely knew 8 people, to be fair. That’s partly why I signed up for a NYCoffee franchise. Could have ended up anywhere in the world. Got Cordonia.”</p>
<p>“Whoo. That’s a brave step.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She sighed. “Well, I didn’t have much worth staying in New York for. And I love to travel. Hopefully when I get this place off the ground I’ll be able to take on an assistant barista a couple of days a week and get to see more of this country than the inside of these four walls.”</p>
<p>“You live upstairs?”</p>
<p>“Yep. As commutes go, I can’t complain.”</p>
<p>“Been open long?”</p>
<p>“Nope, just a week actually. Had a bit of a launch last week, did okay for a few days, now it’s gone quiet.”</p>
<p>He laughed. “You need a social media team! You got a Pictagram page yet?”</p>
<p>“No..”</p>
<p>He started punching buttons on his phone. “Jen, you need a Pictagram page. I’ll set you one up. What’s your email address? Pop it in there.”</p>
<p>She did as she was told, and within ten minutes she had a fully functioning NY Coffee Cordonia Pictagram page, with pictures of the outside of the shop, the cake selection, and Maxwell’s cortado, and all set up with an app on her phone too. And with one follower so far, <em>thefullbeaumonty.</em></p>
<p>“I don’t know what to say,” she said afterwards. “You didn’t have to do that.”</p>
<p>“I wanted to. And it was fun. Hey, we need to get thinking of some hashtags we could use that will get you noticed. I’ll work on that and let you know. And I’ll definitely big you up on one of my posts. I have nine hundred followers you know.” He raised his eyebrows, and she could totally get why.</p>
<p>“Well, when I’m off the clock, I’ll check some of your posts out,” she said.</p>
<p>“Do. Anyway, I better head off. Can I have three more of those to go?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” she said, and got them ready for him. “That’s eight euros twenty five.”</p>
<p>She smiled to herself as he passed the card to her again. “So, P. Is it Pisshead? Prat? Parasite?”</p>
<p>“Uh… no, it’s none of those..” His face was a picture.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” she giggled. “Aw, I get that it’s either obviously something really boring like Peter or Paul, or something embarrassing like Phineas or Percival. If it was something quirky like Phoenix or Poseidon, you wouldn’t be hiding it.”</p>
<p>He gulped.</p>
<p>“It so is one of those!” She jumped up in excitement. “You have to tell me now!”</p>
<p>“No I don’t!” He grabbed his tray of takeaway coffees, and his card, all flustered. “Anyway, thanks for the coffees!”</p>
<p>“Thanks for your help,” she chuckled as he dashed out the door. She had a feeling she’d see him again.</p>
<p>She picked her phone back up and looked at the Pictagram pics. Only one like so far. She idly scrolled to his profile. Nice. Looked like he was quite a busy guy. Seemed to travel a lot, and party a lot… probably had about seven girls on the go.</p>
<p>A notification shot up; she had a direct message. <em>IF YOU MUST KNOW, IT’S PERCIVAL. *COVERS FACE EMOJI*</em></p>
<p>She giggled, and sent a like in response.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>So the third time he headed into NYCoffee he had to queue to get served, which was great! Their followers on Picta had steadily increased since he’d made a post himself, and he’d added as many coffee related hashtags as he could think of to help pick up some more views.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Jen was grinning from ear to ear. “Usual?”</p>
<p>“Hell yes,” he said, pulling up a stool. He felt like a cool sitcom character.</p>
<p>“So, as you can see, things have picked up in here a little bit,” she said as he made his coffee, and he looked around. There were two tables occupied and someone waiting to get served behind him already. “I really don’t know what to say.”</p>
<p>“Hey, if I helped then that’s great, but you need to give yourself most of the credit for this place taking off,” he told her. “I’m sure Cordonians are loving having a genuine slice of New York in their capital city!” He passed her his card as she passed him his drink, they had this routine down smoothly now it seemed.</p>
<p>He sat, content, as she served a few more customers. Eventually, she looked up at him. “So. I was looking at your Pictagram. And it looks like you were in New York recently. You never said!”</p>
<p>He nodded. “I was gonna tell you, I just never got the chance! Yeah, I’ve been there a couple of times this year actually.”</p>
<p>“You seem to travel a lot.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, kind of comes with the company I keep.” He didn’t want to admit the fact that he was practically besties with the King. In the past, that hadn’t always worked in his favour when it came to the ladies. And she wasn’t from round here, she obviously hadn’t made the connection yet with his name and what he posted on Picta and the whole “Cordonia’s Top 5 most eligible bachelors” thing that had kicked off in the press recently much to Meghan’s amusement.</p>
<p>“Hmm, mysterious. So, what took you to New York?”</p>
<p>“Back in March it was my birthday and my friend’s bachelor party, so we kind of made a week or so of it. When we went last month, it was mainly to go to some posh parties.”</p>
<p>“Wow.”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “We got to go to Coney Island though. That was sweet.”</p>
<p>“I love Coney Island,” she said. “All those carousels and ferris wheels..”</p>
<p><em>Eeeek. </em>“I tend to stick to the ferris wheels.”</p>
<p>“So, you must have rich friends, going partying in New York when the mood takes you?”</p>
<p>He sighed. “Okay, so I might have one. But they’re not all rich. In fact, my BFF lives on this street!”</p>
<p>“Ah, okay. Is that who I’ve got to thank for you discovering this place?”</p>
<p>“Correct! First time I came in here it was to kill some time, because she wasn’t answering my message to say whether she was in or not.”</p>
<p>“Did you think about knocking on her door?”</p>
<p>“Well, she lives with her boyfriend now… who is <em>also </em>one of my best friends…”</p>
<p>“Ah. Gotcha. You were worried in case they were busy.”</p>
<p>He clapped and made finger guns at her. “Got it in one.”</p>
<p>“Nice. So that explains the first time. What about the next two times?”</p>
<p><em>Oh crap. She was on to him.</em> <em>Play it cool, Maxwell. </em>“Well, of course I keep coming back for the amazing coffee, right? Oh, and because you gave me a loyalty card too, that helps of course!”</p>
<p>“Of course,” she said, and looked up – another customer had just turned up. She served them and he honestly wondered whether he had come here because he was going to visit Meghan or whether he was going to visit Meghan so he could come here. It was like a chicken and egg scenario. Then he started wondering who was the chicken and who was the egg?</p>
<p>Jen eventually distracted him from his internal poultry related ponderings, and they chatted for a bit longer. He managed to establish that she didn’t have any family back home, and that she wasn’t sure if she’d stay in Cordonia or whether she’d move on to another franchise in another country once this shop was up and running. He’d told her about all the amazing places she should check out in Cordonia whilst she was here, the best beaches and the oldest buildings and the hottest nightspots, obviously. Which then turned into a conversation about dancefloors and his dance obsession. Turned out she’d worked in Kismet once upon a time! New York was obviously a smaller place than he’d thought it was, despite the 8 million people.</p>
<p>And then it got to the stage where he’d been there most of the afternoon, so he thought he should probably go.</p>
<p>“Aw, don’t be a stranger, Maxwell,” she’d said when he’d announced his intention to leave. </p>
<p>He smiled at her. “Hey I was wondering. Do you get a bonus based on sales?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m not sure how it works with the franchise agreement. I think I get some sort of commission-based bonus payment...”</p>
<p>“Okay. Well, in that case, I’ll take ten coffees to go.”</p>
<p>She giggled. “What? How are you going to drink all of them before they go cold?”</p>
<p>“I’ll worry about that later,” he chuckled. “Just take my money.”</p>
<p>It took them a while to figure out how he was going to carry ten takeaway coffees, but they figured it out between them with paper bags and trays and lots of giggles. He had to wink his goodbyes at her, and be very careful how he’d danced down the street afterwards.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Maxwell was by now a regular customer, calling in most days. He was the first to complete his loyalty card by a big margin, although he happily took a second one along with his free coffee. Jen didn’t always have time to chat with him for too long, but she was always secretly pleased when he popped in during a lull and she could make time. He always brought sunshine and laughter, no matter what their topic of conversation turned out to be.</p>
<p>But one day he came in quite late in the afternoon, and he just seemed like a different person. He just stood at the door and looked at her. Something was wrong.</p>
<p>“Hey? What is it?” she called from behind the counter.</p>
<p>He sighed, and sat down on his usual stool with his head down, before looking up at her. “You heard the news?”</p>
<p>She looked up at him in concern. “No? Only thing I heard on the news was about that orchard fire…”</p>
<p>His expression just cracked, and she realised that it had to be as he put his hands to his eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey?” She just wanted to hug him, but decided to rustle up his cortado instead, and passed it across to him. “You guys get so precious over your apples, huh?”</p>
<p>“We do, but..” He sighed, and looked at her, she could see he was close to tears. “Listen. That royal orchard is symbolic, yeah. That’s why they went for it. But..” He looked around, presumably to check there was nobody else in the shop at the moment “Can I trust you?”</p>
<p>“Of course.” She felt her heart beating.</p>
<p>“Listen, I don’t tell just anyone this. But King Liam’s a lifelong friend of mine. So that orchard? It’s childhood memories, Jen. It's seeing my friend get upset and not being able to do anything about it..” He pulled a tissue out of his pocket. “Things are never going to be the same…”</p>
<p>This was all a bit <em>woah. </em>Jen had heard quite a lot about this King Liam in the few short weeks she’d been here. She knew he hadn’t been on the throne for very long, and his efforts to bring stability to Cordonia were antagonising anti-monarchists left right and centre.</p>
<p>And Maxwell was part of this world? He’d hidden it well. He seemed so normal, so grounded.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she said, putting a hand on his as he reached for his coffee. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Jen.”</p>
<p>She figured distraction might be a good tactic here. “So, if the King’s a childhood friend of yours, what does that make <em>you?</em>”</p>
<p>He sighed. “Well, my brother’s the Duke of Ramsford.. so it makes me a Lord, actually.”</p>
<p>“Well. I’m surprised you didn’t lead with that the first day you walked in here, <em>Lord </em>Maxwell Percival Beaumont.”</p>
<p>“So you didn’t see that coming, huh?” He was perking up.</p>
<p>“Not a scooby, <em>Your Lordship.</em>”</p>
<p>“You can continue to address me as such if you wish, of course.”</p>
<p>“Heh, I think I prefer you as a Maxwell.”</p>
<p>He smiled, wistfully. “Good to know.” But he still looked so sad.</p>
<p>She looked around, nobody else was in the shop so she opened up the counter, came round, and pulled up a stool next to him.</p>
<p>“Oh hey, this is new,” he said. “Now you know I’m nobility, I get special treatment?”</p>
<p>“No, you get special treatment because I can tell you’re sad about this. So. This orchard. They burned it down because it was precious to the royal family?”</p>
<p>“Pretty much, yeah.”</p>
<p>“But, they can replant it, yeah?”</p>
<p>“That’s the plan, I think…” He wasn’t looking up at her, just staring down at his drink.</p>
<p>She tentatively reached out a finger and placed it underneath his chin, making him look at her. “Where’s my Mr Positive today?”</p>
<p>He looked confused.</p>
<p>“Look, every time you come in here, no matter what sort of boring mundane day I’ve been having, you put a smile on my face.”</p>
<p>“I just thought you smiled all the time.”</p>
<p>She grinned at him. “I guess you would think that. Anyway. Is this just about burnt trees, or is it about something else?”</p>
<p>“It’s something else too.” he sighed. “Okay. It’s mainly something else. Listen, a few months ago, probably before you arrived here, my life was a lot of fun. All my friends were at court… me and my brother had sponsored Meghan as a suitor for Liam, it looked like we’d pulled it off, and then she went and got engaged to his best friend instead…”</p>
<p>“Meghan’s your friend that you’ve come to visit, I take it?” Jen could be wrong, but she sensed unresolved feelings when he spoke about her. Maybe she was just being paranoid.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I mean, I just want her to be happy, whatever that means. I wouldn’t want her to marry Liam if it wasn’t what she wanted..”</p>
<p>Jen furrowed her brow. “Duh, that would make her a queen, what was she thinking?”</p>
<p>“I know, right?” He laughed. “But hey, she fell for Drake. It all got a bit icky between the three of them, and they left court and moved here, and that’s why I’m in the neighbourhood so much. But then you also have Liam, and Hana, and the rest of the guys who are still at court and… it’s like things are never gonna be the same… and the whole orchard thing is just like a symbol of that..”</p>
<p>“Oh, Maxwell,” she sighed. “And you just want them all to be friends and get along and party together like you used to.”</p>
<p>“You got it.”</p>
<p>She smiled, and rubbed his hand again. It felt really soft and warm. “All you can do is be a good friend to them all. I bet you’ll find a way to bring them all back together. You’ve got a positive mental attitude, and that’s half the battle.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He nodded. “Well, Meghan and Drake are staying away from court until all this terror threat is over.”</p>
<p>Jen suddenly felt a jolt in her stomach. “Wait, are you?”</p>
<p>“Oh no. I’ll be there. Someone’s got to represent on the dance floor at the palace parties.” His smile was back.</p>
<p>“Well, just watch yourself, if you do,” she said, her stomach aching at the thought of him putting himself in danger. “There’s people who care about you and wouldn’t want to see anything bad happen to you, y’know?” She bit her lip.</p>
<p>The door opened and a customer came in. She jumped up and dashed back behind the counter. “Welcome to NYCoffee, what can I get you?”</p>
<p>After she’d served the customer, she turned back to him. “So, what are you doing now?”</p>
<p>He sighed. “I’m buying a round of takeaway coffee to take over to Meghan and Drake’s.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “You know you don’t have to keep doing this, right?”</p>
<p>“Oh no I do. You have no idea how much they love your coffee. They won’t let me in without them now. You think I’m joking?” He winked at her.</p>
<p>She giggled, and set to making his drinks, and once he’d got them he’d shot her a goodbye wink and headed out of the shop.</p>
<p>Jen immediately grabbed her phone and put the name “Maxwell Beaumont” into Google. She gasped in amazement at what she found. “No. Way.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Jen’s little pep talk, followed by Meghan’s awesome job news, had in combination been like sweet medicine to Maxwell. He felt like a new man this morning. He’d woken up stupidly early on Meghan’s sofa, after a chilled evening with her and Drake, and immediately checked what time NYCoffee opened in the mornings. Perfect timing! Breakfast here I come!</p>
<p>He made his way over and arrived at the door at three minutes to the opening time. Chuckling to himself, he positioned himself so he was peeking though the glass door, at the moment all he was peeking at was a pulled down blind, but this was going to be worth it.</p>
<p>Two minutes later his efforts were rewarded as a certain barista pulled up the blind and jumped back in terror, her hands jumping to her chest, and her face transforming from horror to amusement to… oh-oh, she wasn’t happy.</p>
<p>The door was thrown open. “You nearly killed me!”</p>
<p>He laughed. “Surprise!”</p>
<p>“What are you doing here so early?”<em> God, she’s hot when she’s mad.</em></p>
<p>He wandered in. “I’m a paying customer, you don’t get to ask me that!”</p>
<p>Her frown relaxed, and she was soon smiling again. “Well, I just hope you’re here for breakfast to make that shock worth it.”</p>
<p>He didn’t know why he did it. Maybe just because <em>that </em>song was on the radio? But, he just suddenly felt like dancing. He turned to face her suddenly, and put his arms on her waist, spinning her into a dance.</p>
<p>She emitted a dizzy giggle. “Hey, are we dancing now?”</p>
<p>“We are celebrating breakfast, that’s what we’re doing!”</p>
<p>He raised his arm, and she ducked underneath it, then she headed back to him, letting him hold her again. <em>Woah, she’s amazing. </em>She smelt of all things nice, even the intense coffee aroma couldn’t mask her sweet fragrance, and it just felt so right her being close to him like that.</p>
<p>They danced for a little longer, then the song on the radio changed, and she stepped back. “Well, that was unexpected,” she said. “But, you should know, I don’t accept a dance as payment for breakfast.”</p>
<p>“Aw, crap.” He sighed, ironically. “Best get my card out then. You got pastries?”</p>
<p>“You name it, we got it. Cinnamon rolls, New York bagels, muffin du jour, cinnamon toast...”</p>
<p>“Avocado toast smoothies?”</p>
<p>She paused. “What?”</p>
<p>“I’ll put it in the suggestion box,” he said, sitting down at one of the tables.</p>
<p>“I don’t have a suggestion box,” she said, arms folded, a look of challenge in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Cinnamon toast it is then!”</p>
<p>“Anything for Cordonia’s fourth most eligible bachelor,” she said.</p>
<p>“Ahhh… you googled me.”</p>
<p>“I googled you.” She shook her head, shot him a smile, and sashayed off.</p>
<p>He sighed, chastising himself at just how bad he’d got it. Sure, Jen was always so nice to him, but that was probably just because he was a good customer. She must have known he was crushing on her by now, and she had to think he was pathetic. But he was at the point now where he didn’t really want to fight it. He couldn’t keep away.  </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Jen hadn’t seen her favourite customer for a week now. He’d only been back once after their unforgettable breakfast dance, and that one time had been a welcome tonic because she’d felt so fed up and homesick that day and he’d just made her remember everything she liked about her new life. Maybe because he was what she liked best about her new life? But since then - radio silence.</p>
<p>She’d thought about sending him a Pictagram message, but had been debating with herself about it a little. Now that she knew he was kind of a big deal, she felt awkward trying to get friendlier with him than he wanted to be. She didn’t want him to think she was some sort of gold-digger who wanted to be a <em>lady</em>. (Yes, she’d googled what title one would receive if one married a Lord. She was that embarrassingly invested).</p>
<p>Instead, she’d just liked some of his Pictagram posts. It did look as if he was a bit busy, probably dashing around Cordonia with his powerful friends. And she was busy too, maybe some days she would have been too busy to talk to him. Things had really taken off at NYCoffee this week. Maxwell had been helping her with promotional Pictagram posts last time he was here, and word of mouth seemed to be spreading. The loyalty card scheme had proved a success at getting people to keep coming back through the door. But, maybe not Maxwell any more.</p>
<p>So when he came bustling in that afternoon, her eyes lit up, and she couldn’t suppress a smile. “Hey! You’re back!”</p>
<p>“I am back, and ready for one of your life-changingly amazing New York cortados.” He sat on his usual stool, as if he’d never been away.</p>
<p>“So, what’s new with you? Not seen you for what, a week?”</p>
<p>“Ah, well I haven’t been to see Meghan and Drake for a while,” he explained. “They kind of told me to keep my visits down to one a week.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” That made sense.</p>
<p>“But, I was passing on my way to see Liam, so… surprise!”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “You’re on your way to see the freaking King in his freaking palace, and you thought you’d come and have a coffee here first..”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.” He nodded happily.</p>
<p>She sighed, her heart brimming. “I’ve missed you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, same. And the coffee. I kept getting headaches due to the caffeine withdrawal.” He rubbed his head dramatically. “I was back home in Ramsford. Hey, you could always open up a shop there if you miss me that much.”</p>
<p>“Ramsford? That a big place?”</p>
<p>“No idea? It has a wine bar. And a high school.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Okay. A possibility for when I extend my NYCordonia Coffee empire.”</p>
<p>“I like that! But to be fair, I’m quite glad I’ve escaped from Ramsford for now. Did I tell you about my brother?”</p>
<p>“Only that he’s a Duke,” Jen admitted. “And, my research deduced that he was Cordonia’s second most eligible bachelor. So I need you to introduce me, stat.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” He pulled a mock-wounded expression. “So you must have seen pictures of him on the web?”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Intense looking guy, awful sweater vest?”</p>
<p>Maxwell pulled up a picture. “That’s him. The Bertrand to my Maxwell, Bertrand!”</p>
<p>“Why does he look like he’s chewing a wasp?”</p>
<p>“That’s normal. Anyway, his girlfriend just moved in with their, um..” He counted on his fingers. “Six… seven… <em>eight </em>month old son? And I love little Bartie to bits. I really do. But Bertrand is driving me up the wall right now. He is overanalysing everything that poor child spits up. He’s driving Savannah mad. And, yeah, home’s not the funnest place to be right now.”</p>
<p>“I can get that,” Jen sympathised. “Still, look on the bright side, that must mean you just climbed the charts to Cordonia’s third most eligible bachelor?”</p>
<p>“You betcha,” he said with a wink. “And talking of that chart, I’m seeing Cordonia’s MOST eligible bachelor today. We’ve got a Gala to plan. Which means…” He drummed on the countertop. “How’d you like your coffee to get a royal seal on it? I thought I’d take some for Liam to try.”</p>
<p>She gasped. “Oh.. really… not if it’s too much bother… I mean it’s not all that great…”</p>
<p>“It is! He’s gonna love it! I miiiight even be able to get him down here, y’know, to sample your wares in person..”</p>
<p>This was freaky. “Whoa, like a royal visit?”</p>
<p>“Oh it wouldn’t be all official. Hey, unless you want him to do an official opening? Oh, sweet!” His eyes twinkled, and he jumped off his stool. “Why did I never think of that before!”</p>
<p>“Hey, calm down,” she said. “That really won’t be necessary, especially if he’s a terrorist target at the moment.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah..” Maxwell plopped back onto his seat. “True. Don’t want to put my favourite barista at risk.”</p>
<p>“So tell me about this Gala?” She leaned towards him. “Sounds interesting.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. It’s one of my favourite events of the year. Very exclusive. Especially this year with all the security, strictly VIP and by invitation only. It’s the King’s personal event. We dress up.. not so much in fancy dress but more like in fancy suits. And I’ve got the most amaaaazing suit on order…” He picked his phone up again. “Look!”</p>
<p>She looked at the image on the screen. “That’s a very bright blue.. wait.. that bow tie… <em>ohhhhhh…</em>” She laughed. “So you’re dressing up as a squid?”</p>
<p>“I know right? Isn’t it amazing?”</p>
<p>“Backup to the squid part? I mean, why a squid? What am I missing?”</p>
<p>Turned out she was missing quite a lot. The next ten minutes of her life consisted of Maxwell telling her the tale of his family and their history and customs and how all Cordonian noble “houses” had like a mascot type thing and that theirs was a squid. It seemed he knew a lot about squids… she kept getting shown pictures of little squid things he owned and funny things he’d found on the internet and she loved how enthusiastic he was about this and she also loved the fact that she kept getting to touch his hand when his phone was passed back and forth between them.</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” she giggled. “You think you know someone and then you find out they’re obsessed with squids.”</p>
<p>“Not obsessed, Jen. Just passionate.” He held her stare at this point, and it did funny things to her. “Passionate about squids. That’s me.”</p>
<p>“Passionate about dancing too,” she reminded him, really wanting to run out from behind the counter and dance with him again, but thinking it might be a little forward.</p>
<p>“Yeah. You know me. And a passion for fashion.” He gestured to his shirt. “Check the fibres.”</p>
<p>“And a passion for your friends,” she added. “You really seem to care about them.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “It’s easy when you have amazing friends around you. Like Liam, Meghan, Drake, Hana. And <em>you, </em>now.”</p>
<p>“Me?” She pointed to herself. “Am I your friend?”</p>
<p>He looked startled. “Uh.. if you’re now gonna tell me you see us as having a strict customer-barista relationship, I’m gonna scuttle off and hide under a rock.”</p>
<p>“No!” That wasn’t what she’d meant. She reached out to touch him. “I just thought that’s how <em>you</em> saw us. That’s not how I see us. Not at all. You are my friend, Maxwell.” She shrugged. “Best one I’ve got here in Cordonia, actually.”</p>
<p>“Only one you’ve got here in Cordonia,” he teased.</p>
<p>“That might be true, but I think I’ve struck lucky.”</p>
<p>“Not as lucky as I did when I first walked in that door.”</p>
<p>She blushed, as another customer came in. “Here, let me get those royal coffees sorted for you.” As she set to work on them, she said a silent thank you to the skies for bringing her favourite customer back to her.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>So life had been… a little crazy recently.</p>
<p>He’d been back to NYCoffee a few times, but his interactions with Jen weren’t solely linked to his coffee purchases anymore. Not since the night of the Costume Gala, anyway.</p>
<p>When the bombs had gone off and the ceiling had fallen in, although he’d probably breathed in more dust than he’d ever dusted in his life (and Bertrand could be a bit of a taskmaster when it came to dusting the manor, so that was no mean feat) he’d been far enough away from any rubble to get out safely. Bertrand and Savannah had been with him, as well as Hana, so they’d all waited together for news on Liam. Of course Liam ended up being alright. His dad not so much.</p>
<p>The first thing he’d done was text Meghan to say that there’d been a terrorist attack at the palace, and that he was safe.</p>
<p>The second thing he’d done was send a message to Jen’s Pictagram account to tell her the same thing.</p>
<p>The weird thing was, he was super curious to see who’d reply first, and he knew who he wanted it to be.</p>
<p>He was happy with the result, although to be fair there were only a few minutes between their replies. The first notification pinged up. <em>I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE SAFE, THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW. ARE YOU OKAY? HAVE YOU GOT SOMEWHERE TO GO?</em></p>
<p>The thought of going to her now was oh so appealing, but he knew the protocol. Safehouses all round until the palace was secured. <em>YEAH. I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW, IN CASE YOU SAW THE NEWS AND WERE WORRIED THAT YOUR SALES MIGHT PLUMMET *WINKING EMOJI* *COFFEE EMOJI*</em></p>
<p>The text then came in from Meghan. <em>WHAT HAPPENED? IS EVERYONE ELSE OKAY?</em></p>
<p>So he’d replied to her, unsure what he could and couldn’t say to her yet, and then that was when they got told to move on to the safehouse and they heard about Constantine and everything got heavy.</p>
<p>And then the next day when he got back into signal, it was to a message from Jen.</p>
<p>
  <em>I DON’T CARE ABOUT MY SALES, BUT I DO CARE ABOUT YOU.</em>
</p>
<p>Of course, he’d had to call in for a coffee with her after that. He’d told her about everything that had happened, and explained that after all of this it was more important than ever that he stood beside Liam and supported his plans to continue the Unity Tour.. and she was so sympathetic and understanding. He felt a bit bad for Jen really, considering he was the only friend she had here in Cordonia, he was definitely proving high maintenance at the moment.</p>
<p>The conversation seemed to flow in their Pictagram DMs after that. On the days he couldn’t get to the coffee shop to see her, he often pictured her leaning against the counter, scrolling through her messages, and if he closed his eyes he could smell the coffee and he could just about feel that homely safe feeling that he always got when he was sitting on that stool at the counter.</p>
<p>Their messages just used to consist of nothing, really. She’d tapped into more of his passions; such as peacocks and breakdancing and his off-the-wall sense of humour; he was beginning to get more of a feel for what made her tick too, like travel and fashion and her own snarky sense of humour. Some nights, like the night in Lythikos after Madeleine had been poisoned, he’d just felt like he wanted to talk to someone – why was Jen the first person he thought of? Even before Meghan? What was going on in his head? He really wanted to get Jen’s number; but he just felt that asking for it now after so long might look a little forward, and he didn’t want to ruin this amazing coffee-friends thing they had going on.</p>
<p>One morning, he woke up to a missed call from Liam. This was puzzling – as he’d woken up at 5.30am. He’d called Liam straight back – and had heard first-hand the unbelievable story that he then read second-hand on the news pages on his social media. They’d brought in Anton. Well, Olivia had brought in Anton, anyway. Didn’t seem as if Liam had much to do with it. But whatever, this was amazing news. Liam was safe! The terrorists had all been arrested!  Meghan and Drake could come back to court! It was definitely time to go and see them and celebrate! But there was something else he had to do first.</p>
<p>So on Saturday morning, bright and early, he rocked up to NYCoffee, bright eyed and bushy tailed and buzzing at the thought of seeing his coffee queen. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw someone else behind the counter. <em>What?</em></p>
<p>“Welcome to NYCoffee,” said the newbie, wearing a badge saying “Anna”, and definitely not sounding like she was from New York at all. “What can I get you?”</p>
<p>He pulled a face. “Can I get a Jen, please?”</p>
<p>The girl pulled a face back, clearly unimpressed. “Oh. You must be Maxwell.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” Jen strolled out of the back room, looking as amazing as ever. “My favourite customer returns!”</p>
<p>“My favourite barista!” He giggled, then looked back at Anna. “D’you wanna be my second favourite barista? Taking applications? Yes?”</p>
<p>Anna shook her head. “I think I’ll pass on that.” She exchanged a glance with Jen, then headed off in the direction of the tables.</p>
<p>“So, you hired someone! Does this mean what I think it means? Jen gets day release?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, eventually, when Anna’s all fully trained up, it will!” She beamed. “I can’t wait to see some of the things this country has to offer. I hear Portavira’s pretty. Might leave it a few months before I head to Lythikos though. I’m sure it’s cold this time of year.”</p>
<p>He shivered involuntarily. “I’ve been back from Lythikos two weeks now and I’ve still got bumps.”</p>
<p>They spent a good while catching up, she was now fully up to date with the terror level being back to normal, and he explained he was heading over to see Meghan and Drake to start planning Meghan’s birthday party. Jen had said she’d be happy to help, and did birthday party planning need cake, and had sent him on his way with some cake, as well as the usual coffee supplies.</p>
<p>Meghan had been really pleased to see him too, and if you blinked for a moment it could’ve been just like old times – Drake had been at work, and they’d started having their own mini party with virgin Pineapple Paradise Punch (it was Meghan’s idea to keep it mocktail, although the real deal would be coming out for the actual party!) They’d had such a great afternoon, little ideas kept popping into his head about what they could do on the night of the party and he just kept thinking that it might be a golden opportunity for Jen to make some more friends!</p>
<p>So when Drake had got back, Maxwell had raised the subject of the guest list. And was met by crushing disappointment. Just the six of them. Nobody else. Keeping it intimate.</p>
<p>Well, it was their party at the end of the day.</p>
<p>And to be fair, Jen would probably have been washing her hair anyway.</p>
<p>But as he wandered past NYCoffee on his way over to where the driver was picking him up to take him back to Ramsford, he just felt like he didn’t want to go home quite yet. So he’d called the driver to ask if he could have another hour or two, then he’d messaged Jen on her Picta.</p>
<p>And within a minute, she’d come downstairs and let him in. And she wasn’t wearing her uniform. But she still looked stunning – in a casual jumper and jeans, her oceans of curls just flowing freely.</p>
<p>And it didn’t seem weird, they’d just got chatting in the shop after hours, had a coffee together.</p>
<p>Jen had offered to make a birthday cake for Meghan – of course it would have to be a <em>little blossom</em> themed cake. She’d thought that was cute, although she’d asked him a few questions about Meghan.. ones he’d thought he’d known the answers to not so long ago, but right now he wasn’t so sure. Whatever, he’d continued to brainstorm the ideas for Meghan’s party with the one who made his heart the happiest.</p>
<p>“But I’m not allowed to bring a plus one,” he sighed. “Otherwise, I’d thought.. maybe?”</p>
<p>“Maybe what?” she asked him, eyes all big,</p>
<p>“I thought, uh, maybe.. you might have liked to come with me? I think it would have been amazing for you to meet my friends….” Wait, that sounded intense. “I mean, meet some new friends, given that at the moment you’re still stuck with just me. But then, I guess you might’ve been busy…”</p>
<p>And then she leant in to kiss him on the cheek and his heart pretty much stopped. “Course I would’ve gone with you.”</p>
<p>When his car arrived (and boy, it arrived far too quickly) he’d said his goodbyes to her and promised to call in again soon, and decided he’d be big and brave.</p>
<p>“Hey, so can I have your phone number? Maybe we can talk or Facetime sometime?”</p>
<p>She keyed it out on a Picta message, and showed it to him as she sent it.</p>
<p>“Awesome.” He replied with his own number.</p>
<p>“Oh, Maxwell?” she said, biting her lip which made him feel slightly gooey. “I thought you’d never ask.”</p>
<p>He got back in the car, finally heading back for Ramsford that evening, put his feet up and thought back fondly to the final hour of his day, thinking of the coffee Jen had made for him. Either she was practicing for Valentines Day (which was only a few months away now) or maybe she was experimenting with a different logo for NYCoffee, but he could’ve sworn he’d had a love heart on the top of his cortado tonight.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>After her little late-night opening for her favourite customer, Jen had been walking on air. It had been so unexpected and yet felt so right, and she’d now finally admitted to herself that she had fallen for him big time. Once they’d swapped numbers, he’d started to call her every evening, and they’d just talk and laugh and she’d always go to bed with a smile on her face.</p>
<p>But she’d got her self-respect, although she was happy to hint she was interested, she was determined to let him make the first move. After all, he was Cordonia’s third most eligible bachelor, and she was just a barista. It wouldn’t be good if she put herself out there and the feeling wasn’t mutual. It might jeopardize their friendship, and Jen never wanted to risk that. It was her prized possession. She also still got the feeling he was into Meghan from the way he talked about her – although given that Meghan was shacked up with another one of his friends, she didn’t feel too threatened. Especially when it emerged that Meghan was pregnant and moving back to New York in the new year. Jen thought Maxwell had taken that news surprisingly well, although maybe he just wasn’t letting her see his pain.</p>
<p>The weeks rolled into months, and now that Anna was fully trained up, Jen was taking two days off a week on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. Her first week of days off she’d just rested up, but the next week she’d had a two-day guided tour of the capital city (no prizes for guessing the identity of her guide). Trips to Portavira and Krona soon followed, but it was the visit to Ramsford that she’d enjoyed the most. She’d even got to meet Maxwell’s brother, and they’d put her up for the night. But, still nothing.</p>
<p>Making Christmas plans had been a little odd, last year she’d spent it alone, but she’d been in a familiar place. So this year she’d decided she was going to open up the shop on Christmas Day for other people who were alone. She’d actually got quite a crowd in; and she didn’t feel alone either, she even had a guest waiter for the day, complete with his own squid scarf (her Christmas present to say thank you). It wasn’t until weeks later he’d confessed he’d turned down an invitation to spend Christmas in Lythikos with his friends so he could be there to help her out.</p>
<p>They’d also been on nights out together. And while they felt a little bit like dates, neither of them had referred to them as such. They’d been out for meals and then gone to a club afterwards and danced their little hearts out together – those dance floor encounters were getting more and more flirtatious, which was not a problem for Jen; she craved his touch on her waist and his breath on her neck, and although she’d have definitely preferred it in a more private scenario, in the middle of a busy club would do for now.  </p>
<p>She was starting to feel a little insecure as to why she hadn’t been introduced to any of his friends yet, and wondered why he hadn’t included them on any of their little mate-dates. She’d assumed they must know about her by now, but she wasn’t certain. So when Maxwell had asked her if she’d come to the airport with him to see Drake and Meghan off, she’d snapped his hand off.</p>
<p>It was great to finally see them in the flesh. (Meeting the freaking King had been an experience too!) It turned out Maxwell hadn’t told them <em>anything</em> about her though. This had shocked her, although she’d done her best not to let it show, and she wasn’t sure right now whether it was a really good sign, or a really bad sign. But it was definitely one of the two extremes.</p>
<p>It was time she had that conversation with him to find out which extreme it was, and right now seemed like as good a moment as any, as they stood together in the airport. Drake and Meghan had gone through security to get their flight, the King and Hana had said their goodbyes to the two of them and left with the King’s security, but Maxwell was still standing statuesque, as if reflecting on something.</p>
<p>She took a deep breath, ready to ask him why he’d kept their friendship a secret from his friends, but he spoke first.</p>
<p>“Can we go back to your place? Get a coffee?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>So they made their way back to the coffee shop, where it was quite busy, although Anna clearly had it covered. Jen quickly grabbed a couple of cortados, and then invited him upstairs. It was the first time he’d been up here; she’d been keeping the flat tidy for weeks in anticipation of such an occasion.</p>
<p>“So how come you never told your friends about me?” she asked, as they sat together on her only sofa.</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” he said, looking around him. “Hey, I’m sorry if that was a bit weird. I guess I just liked our friendship as it is. Something special. I didn’t want to change it at all. Is that really selfish of me?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so,” Jen said. “I’ve met them now, after all.” She’d at first been worried that he might have wanted to keep their friendship a secret because he was ashamed of it, but even if that had been the case once upon a time, something had clearly changed now.</p>
<p>“And, hey. Generally, any girls I meet just want to meet Liam. So it was kind of refreshing that you didn’t. But I just wanted you to meet Meghan. Before it was too late.” He sighed a long, deep sigh. “I was going to write a book about her, y’know.”</p>
<p>Maxwell had very seldomly spoken about Meghan to Jen, but Jen knew the bare details. That his family had sponsored her as a suitor for Liam. That she would have been named Liam’s queen if it hadn’t been for her getting set up by Liam’s father and her name being pulled through the mud. That he, along with their other friends, did everything he could to clear her name so that she could have that chance again, and that when they did (because of course they did, she had no doubt that Maxwell could do anything he set his mind to), she’d changed her mind about everything because she’d fallen for Drake.</p>
<p>It was a sweet story, but obviously not the one he’d wanted to tell.</p>
<p>“You still could, if you wanted to,” she told him. “This would make a great ending. Those two flying off to NYC to make a new life together. So romantic.” She looked across at him. “I’m actually glad I got to share that moment with you.”</p>
<p>“Oh.. uh…” He didn’t meet her gaze. “Me too.”</p>
<p>“Because, you know, a lot seems to be changing in your life right now. Your friends moving in together and then leaving the country, your brother settling down. But you haven’t changed very much at all. You’re still the same happy-go-lucky, impulsive guy who walked into my shop what feels like a lifetime ago and ordered your first of many cortados.”</p>
<p>“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked. “I mean, Drake and Meghan are going off and making their own life. What am I doing with mine?”</p>
<p>“Great things,” she said, taking his hand and moving in front of him so he looked at her. “I mean, look at what you did for me and my shop. You really helped me get established. You didn’t have to do that, you barely knew me, but you really went the extra mile. I’m not sure I’d still be here in Cordonia if it wasn’t for you, y’know? What I’m trying to say is.. thank you.”</p>
<p>“Nah, Jen. Don’t underestimate your amazingness. You’d have nailed it, with or without me. Or someone else would’ve helped you. You’d still be here.”</p>
<p>“Still, you’ve always been there for me, through everything, from the start,” she said. “We make a good team.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he said, livening up at last. “The dream team! Agent Breakdance and his Coffee Queen.” His face contorted a little. “Actually, that sounds like the perfect concept for a book too…”</p>
<p>“What’s the book about?” she asked him.</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s easy. It’s about an epic friendship formed over cortados and cake.”</p>
<p><em>Seize this moment, Jen. It’s time. </em>She looked shyly at him. “Does the friendship grow into a more-than-friendship?”</p>
<p>He looked at her, puzzled. “Why would you ask that?” He snapped his fingers. “Ah. You think it’d get more readers if it verged into fiction?”</p>
<p>“I was hoping we could keep it non-fiction, Maxwell.”</p>
<p>“Focus on the BFF angle, I like it..”</p>
<p>She sighed, and let out a little noise of exasperation. “Agggh. You really don’t pick up on hints, do you?”</p>
<p>“Hints about what?”</p>
<p>She laughed. “Hints that I was hoping our friendship could grow into a more-than-friendship.”</p>
<p>“You were.. wait, what?” He looked at her, an expression of complete shock on his face.</p>
<p>“Well, it makes sense,” she said, because it did to her. “You’ve always been by my side; you’ve always championed me. And you’re the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning. I guess I’ve always had a bit of a crush on you.”</p>
<p>“You have?”</p>
<p>She nodded, and went on. “Even that first day you came in, you were so sweet and funny, and you made me smile all day, and every time you came back I did a little dance inside. I didn’t think much of it at first, I figured it was just because you were the only person I’d spoken to, I figured when I got to know you properly I might start feeling different… and I was right because I did start feeling different… I fell harder for you than ever.”</p>
<p>The words stopped. For a long while, Maxwell said nothing, not quite meeting her eyes.</p>
<p>This wasn’t quite the reaction she’d hoped for.</p>
<p>Her heart felt like it was going to escape from her chest. What was he thinking about? Eventually, he glanced back at her, an unreadable expression on his face, but still nothing.</p>
<p>“Maxwell? You can’t leave me hanging…”</p>
<p>He looked away again. “I guess.. if I think about it… I’ve felt the same way.. for a while…”</p>
<p>She let out a little gasp. <em>Ohmygod.</em> “You have?”</p>
<p>He looked at her again. “I mean.. yeah.. you’re.. You’re amazing, Jen.”</p>
<p>She couldn’t help but beam, although her heart hadn’t stopped pounding.</p>
<p>He went on. “I figured it was like an extra strong friendship, where you also want to kiss your friend sometimes? I can’t believe.. I <em>never</em> imagined you would feel the same way. This is.. I guess I’d say it’s unbelievable!”</p>
<p>She nodded, still smiling widely. She’d convinced herself he couldn’t possibly feel the same way so many times, that she genuinely felt amazed at his words. Why hadn’t he said anything? But then, why hadn’t she?</p>
<p>“Why are you only just telling me this <em>now</em>?”</p>
<p>She sighed. “I was just asking myself the same question. I guess I never thought I would be enough for Cordonia’s third most eligible bachelor. I mean.. I just serve coffee.”</p>
<p>Maxwell stared at her for a long moment, his expression somewhere between hope and uncertainty. She took a tentative step forward, her eyes locked on Maxwell’s. He smiled.</p>
<p>In the next moment, she closed the distance, putting one hand on Maxwell’s shoulder while the other wrapped around his neck, bringing his lips to hers.  He responded, his arms enveloping her tenderly as his lips met hers in a fervent, heated kiss. After a blissful moment, she pulled away, breathless.</p>
<p>He looked at her, a startled smile on his lips. The many hours she’d spent wondering what it felt like to kiss those lips had not been wasted.</p>
<p>“Good to the last drop,” she chuckled.</p>
<p>He laughed. “Yeah. And likewise. That was even better than one of your cortados.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, I think?” she said, playfully. She just wanted to kiss him again already.</p>
<p>“And in answer to your question, you have no idea how much more than enough you are. When I first walked into your shop, I already knew you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen or ever will see. The more I got to know you, the more I wanted to know you better, and what you don’t know is you’ve helped me through a really tough time and… actually, can I just kiss you again please?”</p>
<p>He didn’t actually wait for an answer, but Jen didn’t mind one little bit.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. A bit of soul searching from a naked cowboy (Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This week's challenge - write an established couple fic!</p><p>This is what I do :) Here's a little extract from an unpublished chapter of TVD2!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jen stirred and stretched as she woke from the sunlight flooding into their little guest room early in the Texan morning. She could sense she wasn’t alone, and edged a little closer to her still sleeping husband. It was always a novelty to wake up before he did, although she did appreciate he must have worn himself out last night.</p><p>She felt something nudge against her forehead and opened her eyes; to her amusement he was still sporting his cowboy hat. And, nothing else. Which had been a good look last night, she couldn’t deny, but was slightly ridiculous this morning.</p><p>Unusually for Maxwell, he didn’t seem ready to wake up yet, so she crept out of bed. Spotting the box on the bedside cabinet, she sighed. Something in her wanted to wait a little longer before she did this, but with today being the Council meeting, she knew the question would be asked. She picked up the box, put on her robe, and left the room quietly, stealing one last affectionate peek at her snoozing cowboy before she shut the door.</p><p>It had been exactly a month since her last period had started, the first one since she’d come off the pill, so theoretically, she <em>could</em> be pregnant by now. And a test <em>could</em> give her a result by now. And she had this strange, warm feeling in her stomach that she could be. Excitement bubbled through her while she took the test in the bathroom.</p><p>She then crept back to their bedroom, resisting the temptation to look at the test until the two minutes were up. She put the box including the spare test back away into her top dresser drawer, and perched on the side of the bed so as not to disturb Maxwell. She looked. And looked.</p><p>It would have changed by now, right? That second line would have appeared?</p><p>A few more minutes passed, and still nothing. She sighed. But it was silly to feel so disappointed so soon, right? So why did she feel like she wanted to cry right now?</p><p>She felt cold, and empty. A disappointment.</p><p>"Good morning, little blossom,” she heard a whispered voice from behind her. She turned to face him, seeing him blinking up at her from underneath the brim of his hat.</p><p>"Hey babe,” she managed to mouth, before she burst into tears.</p><p>“Jen?” He sat up and immediately pulled her into his arms. “What is it? Oh…” He saw the test before she had the chance to answer him. “So how do these things work?”</p><p>“There’s a line there, see,” she sighed between sobs. “If I was pregnant, there’d be another line further up.”</p><p>Maxwell grabbed the test, holding it up to the light, then standing on the bed to hold it up to the window; mercifully the blinds were drawn given the fact he was still wearing nothing but that cowboy hat. Ordinarily she’d have giggled at this sight, but his face was as serious as her heart felt right now as he sat back next to her.</p><p>“Yeah. Only one line.” He put the test to one side and let her lean into him, wrapping his arms around her again.</p><p>“I just thought, maybe.. and with the Council meeting today… but I know it’s early days, and there are women out there who have been trying for years… oh god, you must think I’m stupid...”</p><p>“No, of course I don’t. It’s not stupid at all to feel like that. I get it, Jen.”</p><p>She sighed, resting her head on his warm chest, as the wave of disappointment continued to wash over her.</p><p>“Listen, I know how much you want this,” he went on. “I know how much <em>I</em> want it. It’s normal to get your hopes up. And I know we’ve been joking about it and making light of it all, because that’s the only way I know how, Jen. But I know this is serious to you. And I’m feeling your pain too.”</p><p>“I’m glad it’s not just me,” she sniffed, savouring this rare sensible-Maxwell moment; they were few and far between these days but they would always present themselves when she really needed them.</p><p>"We still have time.” He stroked her arm soothingly. “All the time in the world. Don’t put this pressure on yourself. I mean, I’m not complaining, trying is a whole lot of fun… but why don’t we just relax? That was part of what this trip was all about, right? To chill?”</p><p>“Right,” she agreed. </p><p>“Then we chill. We have a fun week ahead, yeah? We’re off to conquer Beaumont tomorrow, then you have Savannah’s bachelorette party at the weekend….” He kissed her on the forehead, and wiped her tears from her face. “And I love you.”</p><p>“I love you too.”</p><p>He winked. “Well, would you look at that. A bit of soul searching from a naked cowboy. Yeehah!” He stood up and toted his finger pistols, as she let out a peal of delighted laughter.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>